He comes from Melbourne, he’s 19, a kind and polite guy, always attentive to the advice of his engineers. Oscar Piastri arrived in Europe in a subdued fashion, and after three seasons in high-level karting, he made his debut in Formula 4. Three weekends in the UAE championship and then his debut in the British series with team Arden. Piastri immediately stood out with six wins and second place in the standings, shining especially in the second half of the season. Only Jamie Caroline, in his second year in the category, did better than him, winning ten races, including seven in the first three rounds.
The following year came the move to Formula Renault Eurocup, always within the Arden team. Certainly not an easy season, but at his debut on the European stage Piastri earned the spotlights with three podiums. In 2019 the definitive leap, quality-wise, of the Australian driver, who fought until the last race with the French driver Victor Martins. Thanks to seven wins and eleven podiums Piastri secured the title and with it the engagement in the Renault Academy and with JAM Sports Management, a company headed by Mark Webber, his wife Ann, and businessman Jason Allen. The former Australian driver, the winner of nine Formula 1 Grand Prix and FIA WEC champion, set his sights on Piastri already in the middle of the 2019 season and after winning the title he never let him out of his sight, putting him under contract at the start of last season.
It seems that Webber had some weight in Piastri’s arrival in the Renault Academy, but as regards the signing with Prema, the 19-yearold did it all by himself, securing the most coveted seat on the FIA Formula 3 grid with his excellent performance during the postseason tests in Valencia.