“We Just Really Never Have the Time”: When Oscar Piastri Talked About Difficulty in Making Relations With Rivals

Oscar Piastri is one of the newest faces in the Formula 1 paddock. And his experiences in his rookie season last year made him realize just how hectic life can be as an F1 driver. So much so that the Australian revealed how difficult it was to even build a relationship with his rivals despite traveling to several countries together every season.

While speaking on The Fellas podcast last year, Piastri explained, “It’s actually quite difficult because all the drivers are so busy on the weekends that we see each other for the driver’s briefing and the driver’s parade and that’s it. So, we see each other for like less than an hour each weekend. We just never really have the time.”

A weekend in the life of a Formula 1 driver can be pretty hectic indeed. In between the actual sessions, they have to deal with sponsor commitments, media duties, debriefing sessions, team meetings, etc.

However, this was Piastri‘s outlook just into his rookie year. Since then, his insights into the relationships within the paddock might have changed.

For instance, the 22-year-old has been striking a pretty strong relationship with his McLaren teammate Lando Norris. Piastri and Norris seem to get on well together, and in terms of results, the two are expecting to have yet another successful year with McLaren.

Can Oscar Piastri turn into a bitter rival for Lando Norris?

All eyes were on Oscar Piastri last year as he became one of F1’s most-hyped rookies. After two podiums and a sprint race win during the 2023 Qatar GP weekend, the Australian is keen to keep the momentum going and have another successful season in 2024 as well.

The #81 driver has started the season on a good note. He currently sits fifth in the Drivers’ Standings after a solid Saudi Arabian GP which saw him finish ahead of his teammate in P4, earning him and McLaren (who sit in P3 in the Constructors’ standings) a decent haul of points.

️ | oscar piastri’s post race interview for the saudi arabian grand prix!

being a bit hard on himself considering he finished p4!

[1/2] pic.twitter.com/hmfgU2rqus

— Piastri Updates (@PiastriNews) March 9, 2024

F1 is a unique sport since a driver’s teammate is also their biggest rival. Naturally, while Norris and Piastri share a cordial relationship on and off track, the Australian could quickly become a headache for Norris if he keeps beating him on a regular basis.

Piastri has shown that he can keep up, and on occasion even outshine his teammate. While this won’t be a problem in the short term, Norris has been tipped to leave the team for the likes of Red Bull if Piastri does emerge as the clear favorite at McLaren.