Oscar Piastri Reveals Why After Last Dance He Picked Michael Jordan As His Idol Outside Formula 1

Oscar Piastri is one of the two recent additions to Formula 1. The young Aussie is touted to have the potential to become one of the greats under the right resources, and everyone who has seen him grow through the junior ranks is highly praiseful of the 21-year-old.

Like any other sport, athletes from motorsport also tend to seek inspiration from the most illustrious athletes across the sporting realm, and Piastri is no stranger to that. In a recent video posted by McLaren, the Australian driver was asked about his idols.

While he named Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost as his idols in Formula 1, he named only one person outside the motorsports to be an inspirational figure. And that person is none other than arguably the greatest of all-time NBA player— Michael Jordan. But he only started adoring him after watching Netflix’s docu-series ‘The Last Dance’.

“I think people from outside the motorsports is Michael Jordan. Watching his series was a massive insight to how dedicated he was to his sport and his career,” said Piastri.

Oscar Piastri follows a bit of basketball

The McLaren rookie even claims to be a huge sports fan. He reveals that apart from Formula 1 and other motorsports, he loves to follow Cricket and manages to watch a bit of basketball.

Though he didn’t reveal whether he follows the European league more or the NBA. Additionally, Piastri revealed he likes to follow Australian soccer. Still, he doesn’t get enough time to watch it regularly as he currently lives in the UK, and the time difference is too big.

Therefore, it would be safe to say the Australian race driver is a huge sports buff. But in the end, Formula 1 remains his top priority as he has started his spell in the apex motorsport series.

Stepping into the home as an F1 driver

Piastri would be competing in Albert Park for an F1 race for the first time, and the excitement around his first appearance is at its peak. He maintains the Australian representation on the grid and possibly, in a few years, could get them another world championship.

However, one shouldn’t expect much from him this Sunday. McLaren’s new car hasn’t given them objectively any chance to crack any points during the season’s first two races.

And most likely, Piastri’s predicaments could continue even in Melbourne. So, while he could be excited to appear at his home, a top 10 result would be a tough demand right now.