Oscar Piastri is currently the reserve driver for Alpine F1. Getty Images
Oscar Piastri is currently the reserve driver for Alpine F1. Getty Images
Oscar Piastri is currently the reserve driver for Alpine F1. Getty Images
Oscar Piastri is currently the reserve driver for Alpine F1. Getty Images

Oscar Piastri - a serious talent at centre of F1 drama


  • English
  • Arabic

Oscar Piastri, who is centre stage in a drama dominating Formula One's "silly season", has long been tipped for a prized seat in the sport.

Just 21, the Australian is widely seen as one of Formula One's hottest upcoming talents after dominating the junior categories.

Which team he makes his F1 bow with is the burning question after a dramatic week in which Alpine announced his promotion from reserve driver to replace Fernando Alonso next season after the two-time champion's shock move to Aston Martin.

But Piastri stunned the sport by shooting it down barely an hour later, writing on Twitter that "I will not be driving for Alpine next year" in an embarrassing and very public rebuff to the French team.

Managed and mentored by fellow Australian and former Red Bull driver Mark Webber, there is rampant speculation that Piastri could be heading to McLaren - and at the expense of another Australian, Daniel Ricciardo.

With Alpine believing Piastri is their driver, having given him significant financial support and training to prepare him for a F1 debut, the dispute could be heading to governing body FIA's contract recognition board, which arbitrates such matters.

Born in Melbourne, Piastri joined Alpine's academy after clinching the Formula Renault Eurocup title in 2019, securing seven wins.

He carried the form into the Formula 3 series in 2020, winning the opening race on his debut and holding his nerve to claim the title by three points in one of the most closely fought championships ever.

The following year he was on the Formula 2 grid, where he clocked six wins to unequivocally announce his arrival on the world stage, becoming just the third rookie champion after Charles Leclerc (2017) and George Russell (2018). They are both now in F1.

Despite his rapid rise Piastri was overlooked for a drive in Formula One this season because of lack of available seats, instead lurking on the sidelines at Alpine ready to replace either Esteban Ocon or Alonso if they were forced to miss a race.

Nine-time race winner Webber - famously known for his single-mindedness - has long been a fan, telling reporters: "Does he deserve to be in F1? Absolutely, we all know that.

"It's not a question of if, but when."

F1 salaries guide

The Piastri family say they are "petrol heads" with his father Chris telling The Sydney Morning Herald that "Oscar's bedtime stories were mainly car books".

He started racing remote-controlled cars aged six and by nine had graduated to piloting go-karts.

"I think he's got the determination and the ability and the intellect," his mother Nicole told The Age newspaper this year of her son's progression to Formula One.

"I think he's got everything that's required to be able to get there and to do a good job, but that's only one very small factor.

"There are a lot of other things that come into getting a Formula One seat - politics, money, availability of seats."

Chris Piastri pinpointed Webber's involvement from Formula 3 onwards as key to helping their son reach his goal, opening funding and sponsorship doors to help with the soaring costs that come with making it as a racing driver.

"Mark knows everybody," he said. "It was at that point that he started taking over the reins, dealing with the teams, managing Oscar up into the visibility of the teams."

Former racing driver Mark Webber. PA
Former racing driver Mark Webber. PA

Webber said it was a "no-brainer" to help out.

"It's hard to turn heads, especially in the F1 paddock, as they are pretty hard to please.

"But there's not many people who haven't mentioned him to me - how impressed they are with him, what he's doing, the trajectory he is on."

MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League last 16, second leg
Liverpool (0) v Atletico Madrid (1)
Venue: Anfield
Kick-off: Thursday, March 12, midnight
Live: On beIN Sports HD

Will the pound fall to parity with the dollar?

The idea of pound parity now seems less far-fetched as the risk grows that Britain may split away from the European Union without a deal.

Rupert Harrison, a fund manager at BlackRock, sees the risk of it falling to trade level with the dollar on a no-deal Brexit. The view echoes Morgan Stanley’s recent forecast that the currency can plunge toward $1 (Dh3.67) on such an outcome. That isn’t the majority view yet – a Bloomberg survey this month estimated the pound will slide to $1.10 should the UK exit the bloc without an agreement.

New Prime Minister Boris Johnson has repeatedly said that Britain will leave the EU on the October 31 deadline with or without an agreement, fuelling concern the nation is headed for a disorderly departure and fanning pessimism toward the pound. Sterling has fallen more than 7 per cent in the past three months, the worst performance among major developed-market currencies.

“The pound is at a much lower level now but I still think a no-deal exit would lead to significant volatility and we could be testing parity on a really bad outcome,” said Mr Harrison, who manages more than $10 billion in assets at BlackRock. “We will see this game of chicken continue through August and that’s likely negative for sterling,” he said about the deadlocked Brexit talks.

The pound fell 0.8 per cent to $1.2033 on Friday, its weakest closing level since the 1980s, after a report on the second quarter showed the UK economy shrank for the first time in six years. The data means it is likely the Bank of England will cut interest rates, according to Mizuho Bank.

The BOE said in November that the currency could fall even below $1 in an analysis on possible worst-case Brexit scenarios. Options-based calculations showed around a 6.4 per cent chance of pound-dollar parity in the next one year, markedly higher than 0.2 per cent in early March when prospects of a no-deal outcome were seemingly off the table.

Bloomberg

Ferrari 12Cilindri specs

Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12

Power: 819hp

Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm

Price: From Dh1,700,000

Available: Now

Graduated from the American University of Sharjah

She is the eldest of three brothers and two sisters

Has helped solve 15 cases of electric shocks

Enjoys travelling, reading and horse riding

 

The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting

2. Prayer

3. Hajj

4. Shahada

5. Zakat 

FROM%20THE%20ASHES
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Khalid%20Fahad%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStarring%3A%20Shaima%20Al%20Tayeb%2C%20Wafa%20Muhamad%2C%20Hamss%20Bandar%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
 
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
57%20Seconds
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Rusty%20Cundieff%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EJosh%20Hutcherson%2C%20Morgan%20Freeman%2C%20Greg%20Germann%2C%20Lovie%20Simone%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2%2F5%0D%3Cbr%3E%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

COMPANY PROFILE

Name: Grubtech

Founders: Mohamed Al Fayed and Mohammed Hammedi

Launched: October 2019

Employees: 50

Financing stage: Seed round (raised $2 million)

 

Updated: August 05, 2022, 9:57 AM`