Oscar Piastri recently had an interesting conversation with his race engineer Tom Stallard. The two discussed Stallard’s impressive past as an Olympic athlete. Not many fans know that before joining McLaren, Stallard was a successful rower and even won a silver medal at the Beijing Olympics in 2008.
Stallard competed in the men’s rowing eights, a highly competitive event requiring immense teamwork and physical endurance. His success in Beijing came after years of training and competition, and he proudly showed Piastri the silver medal, which came in a box covered in Chinese silk, symbolizing good luck.
Before Race Engineering @Tom_Stallard was an accomplished rower who competed for Cambridge in the Boat Race and won a silver medal with Team GB at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing pic.twitter.com/aLJMzldBcL
— f1 fiend (@f1fiend) March 26, 2024
The conversation between the two then shifted to the similarities between rowing and motorsport. Stallard highlighted the importance of teamwork in both sports.
He explained that, in rowing, the best teams perform better collectively than as individual rowers. This is equally applicable in Formula 1, where a driver’s success depends on the successful collaboration of the entire team.
Stallard stressed that the concept of being “greater than the sum of the parts” is a common aspect in both rowing and motorsport. He also discussed the pressures associated with both sports, saying;
“The Olympics being only once every four years creates a very unique pressure point that maybe in Formula 1 is analogous to going into the last race of the year, level on points for the championship.”
Stallard then likened his role as a race engineer at McLaren to that of a Cox in rowing. He explained that, while a race engineer doesn’t steer the car like a Cox steers a boat, both roles involve communicating with the athlete during high-intensity situations.
The key is to provide the right information at the right moment without overwhelming them. This balance is important for optimizing performance and ensuring effective decision-making during races.
Piastri acknowledged this, noting how often they find themselves on the same wavelength, thinking and reacting similarly during races. As the conversation wrapped up, Piastri expressed his support for the Australian team at the ongoing Olympics. Meanwhile, Stallard would be cheering for the British team.
