Oscar Piastri has developed a reputation of being one of the nicest drivers on the grid, thanks to his mother Nicole’s teachings. She taught the Melbourne-born driver to be kind and decent which is what turned him into the global star he is today.
Nicole appeared on the Red Flags Podcast, where the hosts asked him what the best parenting advice for Oscar would be. She mentioned the aforementioned factors, and how they were inculcated into Oscar from a very young age.
“You be a good person, and you will get opportunities,” Nicole told Oscar. “Life will be easier. If you are not kind, and not decent, people won’t want to give you opportunities.”
Nicole went on to say that Oscar’s nature, also got him the spotlight ahead of drivers who were supposedly better than him on the track. “He was picked to represent Australia at the World Karting Championships when he was 12. He was one of the top drivers at the time. But he wasn’t the best.”
The authorities picked Oscar because they knew he wouldn’t throw a tantrum and would represent Australia with grace, even if he lost. What Oscar’s participation in the Championship also did was, it helped him get the attention of big teams.
European teams noticed Piastri because he was a good kid
After moving to Europe, Piastri had a very successful junior career and developed worldwide popularity at a very young age. And it is possible that none of it would have happened if he wasn’t a decent kid like Nicole wanted him to be.
In the podcast, she admitted that his selection for the World Karting Championship was the turning point for Oscar. “That’s where he got noticed by European teams. And that was him being a good kid.”
OSCAR PIASTRI IS A FORMULA 1 GRAND PRIX WINNER!
HE’S DONE IT AT THE HUNGARORING #F1 #HungarianGP pic.twitter.com/foIq7krsNs
— Formula 1 (@F1) July 21, 2024
Piastri would go on to win the Formula Renault, Formula 3, and Formula 2 titles in three consecutive seasons, which made him one of the most sought-after prospects in the sport. A part of the Alpine Academy initially, Piastri soon jumped ship to McLaren in 2023.
In 2024, years of hard work paid off as he finally became a race-winner at the Hungarian GP. But that is not where his ambition would stop. A driver of his caliber would be aiming for the World Championship in the years to come.
