Oscar Piastri: From Formula 2 rookie to a consistent driver pushing for a Formula 1 seat

Making the step up from Formula 3 this season, Oscar Piastri proved that being a rookie does not rule you out of a championship battle.

The Aussie had all eyes on him as he embarked on his maiden Formula 2 season after winning the F3 title in 2020.

Driving for Prema alongside Robert Shwartzman, Piastri made a positive start to his campaign with a points finish in the first Sprint Race in Bahrain. During the second race of the weekend, he made his way up from sixth to secure a stunning maiden race victory.

However, the first weekend of the season ended in retirement for the 20-year-old as he tangled with Dan Ticktum and lost out on a certain podium finish. Nevertheless, 21 points, a race win and sitting fourth in the drivers’ standings after your first weekend in a new category is more than ideal.

He didn’t get to the best of starts in Monaco two months later with only a point from the first Sprint Race but two podium finishes in the remaining two races moved him up to second in the championship.

Consistency was a key feature of the Aussie’s title-winning season as he was on the rostrum once more in Baku. After a dismal race one which saw him retire, it was the final two races where he rescued some much-needed points and another second-place finish in a Feature Race.

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As he was scoring points, his main title rival, Guanyu Zhou, was not scoring any with the Prema driver taking the championship lead at Silverstone.

The Chinese driver failed to score points in the first two races of the weekend which saw Piastri secure 16 points. Starting on pole position for the Feature Race, the Aussie failed to convert it into a race win as he finished third with Zhou winning and earning a valuable 25 points.

Heading into round four at Monza however, he claimed the lead of the championship and held a nine-point advantage. A podium for Zhou in race one saw the lead come down to five points but a lights to flag finish in the Feature Race saw Piastri extend his gap at the top to 19 as the Aussie didn’t look back after that.

Both championship protagonists failed to score points in the first Sprint Race of the weekend at Sochi as the weather cancelled race two in its entirety. Lining up on pole position for the third successive Feature Race, Piastri scored another victory as he moved 40 points clear and had one hand on the title with two rounds to go.

Two wins in Jeddah more or less sealed the deal for Piastri as Prema claimed the constructors’ championship and it was only a matter of time for them to take another driver to a championship win.

In the first race of the season finale at the Yas Marina Circuit, the Aussie, with a third-place finish, claimed the championship and completed a fantastic junior category hat-trick with wins in Formula Renault Eurocup, Formula 3 and now Formula 2.

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When speaking to Prost International after claiming his F2 title, Piastri spoke about qualifying being a big part of his successful season:

“I think qualifying in the top one for the last five weekends has definitely helped, but I think compared to last year, this has helped me become so dominant this year. I made my life difficult in F3 with poor qualifying so to get my performances in qualifying back up to scratch this season was satisfying.

“It has made my life a whole lot easier throughout the season. Sprint Race one is always difficult starting in the middle of the pack, but overall, the points paid in the Feature Race are the main points so it has made scoring big points more easy and has qualifying has definitely helped me win the championship.”

The 2021 Formula 2 Champion now steps away from racing for a year as he becomes Alpine’s Reserve Driver and will be definitely looking to get up to speed ahead of a certain move into Formula 1 in the future.

For the time being, Piastri has to learn the ins and outs of the machinery that will be underneath him with Free Practice appearances next season a guarantee.

The Aussie has an impressive CV already and winning three successive championships will only make him a stronger candidate for an F1 seat in 2023.

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