Oscar Piastri has been mightily impressive this year as he has delivered some fantastic performances for McLaren in just his rookie season. Since the 22-year-old has been so impressive in just his first year in F1, many have compared him to seven-time drivers’ champion Lewis Hamilton, who also had an outstanding rookie season with McLaren back in 2007. Via his official website, Piastri has now opened up on the sportspeople that inspired him and credited NBA legend Michael Jordan in particular.
The Australian driver explained how Jordan’s mentality impressed him greatly after he saw ‘The Last Dance’ documentary. However, it is pertinent to note that this is not the first time that Piastri has credited the six-time NBA champion.
While answering Google’s most searched questions via McLaren’s YouTube handle earlier this year, Piastri gave credit to Jordan on that occasion too. He explained how Jordan’s dedication to basketball and his career was inspiring. And now with Piastri having credited Jordan again, it just gives a glimpse of how much of a role model the former Chicago Bulls star has been for Piastri.
Oscar Piastri loves Michael Jordan’s mentality to win
Oscar Piastri recently named five sportspeople outside of motorsports that have inspired him greatly. He named NBA legend Michael Jordan, 22-time Grand Slam winner Rafael Nadal, eight-time Olympic gold medal winner Usain Bolt, seven-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi and former Australian test cricket captain Steve Smith.
While Piastri expressed admiration for all of them, he seemed to have special praise for Jordan. As quoted by oscarpiastri.com/news, the Australian driver said, “I loved that he (Jordan) just did everything to win. People tried to figure out ways to stop him, so he just brought the whole team with him. I admire how he was hard on people in a respectful way. He was a real role model and he pushed everyone around him to be better“.
Piastri then added that Jordan became a huge inspiration from him once he watched The Last Dance documentary and The Flu Game, one in which the 60-year-old was ill and still managed to score 38 points. The Flu Game was critical in cementing Jordan’s legacy as he played despite suffering from flu-like symptoms and having food poisoning.
This kind of mentality just showcased Jordan’s relentless desire to win. Jordan himself seems to have spoken about what kind of a mentality he has, having once famously said, “I can accept failure. Everyone fails at something. But I can’t accept not trying“.
As for Piastri, his praises for Jordan just did not end there. The Australian also explained how Jordan’s desire to play baseball against the advice of others was also inspirational for him.
Jordan competed in the Minor Baseball League in 1994 after he surprisingly announced his first retirement from the NBA. Jordan’s desire to win and not be afraid of any challenge is what inspires Piastri greatly.
Piastri will hope to take inspiration from Jordan and follow Hamilton’s path of success
Oscar Piastri has already established himself as a rising star in F1, having already come agonizingly close to clinching a podium in his rookie season. While the Australian did finish second in the Belgian Grand Prix sprint, he is yet to secure a podium in a Grand Prix race.
Piastri has been so impressive that F1 experts like Eddie Jordan have already tipped him to join championship-winning teams like Red Bull in the near future. The 22-year-old’s rise has been similar to that of Lewis Hamilton, who was considered to be a future world champion after just his rookie season in F1 back in 2007.
Interestingly, the Briton did win his first title just the season after. Piastri will now hope to follow a similar path of success in his F1 career.
