PIASTRI F1 COLUMN: WOW …. WHAT A RACE!

Piastri’s F1 column as published in Auto Action magazine issue 1871 on sale October 2023.

For my latest column, I have to focus on Suzuka and my first-ever F1 podium …

I finished second in the Saturday sprint race at Spa-Francorchamps back at the end of July, which was a podium of sorts, but to stand on a grand prix podium and spray the champagne for the first time in F1 was a special feeling. 

I had my fingers crossed that there would be no Safety Car towards the end of the race as that was what cost me a top-three spot in the British Grand Prix at Silverstone.

I managed to get past George Russell into Turn 1 to take third and then, in the closing stages, it was just about keeping a gap to Charles behind me in fourth and looking after the tyres as there was such high degradation. 

To celebrate with all the team in parc fermé, hear the reception from the crowd and have so many fans, staff and other drivers come up to me to congratulate me in the paddock afterwards was sensational.

I had a lot of messages on my phone when I got back to my driver room in McLaren hospitality and was also inundated with support on social media from F1 fans, which meant the world.

Third place Oscar Piastri and runner-up Lando Norris spray Champagne on the podium during the Japanese GP at Suzuka. Photo by Andy Hone / LAT Images

To have a trophy for your efforts is always cool and something to show for all the hard work of everyone in the team trackside and back in Woking at MTC.

They have worked so hard to get the car where it is and deserve all the credit they are getting. 

Overall, I was happy with the weekend. I felt like we got the maximum out of the car in terms of pace and there wasn’t a lot left on the table, although there are still plenty of things I can improve.

I’m only 16 races into my F1 career and still soaking up new info and knowledge about all of the tracks so I’m gaining experience that I can hopefully draw on for years to come.

Qualifying on the front row of the grand prix grid for the first time was another big positive.

Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri race side by side in their McLaren MCL60s. Photo by Jake Grant / LAT Images

I’d been on the front row for a sprint race but to put together all the little pieces and produce a strong lap around a track that I had never visited before was especially pleasing. 

Suzuka is an old-school racer’s track. It’s got amazing high-speed sections and undulations and it flows from one sector to the next.

It tests you to the limit and I’m glad that my first podium and first front row GP start came at one of the classic circuits. 

The energy and passion from the fans across the whole four days was incredible too and it made for a really amazing atmosphere to enjoy a good result.

Suzuka has only given me a taste. Now I want to kick on and keep improving.

I want more of these moments and to achieve more than third.

With that in mind, it was great to recently extend my partnership with McLaren until the end of 2026.

The way that I have been received by the team and welcomed into everything has made it feel like home.

Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, McLaren show off their Suzuka silverware. Photo by Steven Tee / LAT Images

The team’s consistent commitment to me, desire for me to be a part of its long-term future and belief in me, means a lot, especially after just half a season. 

I want to be fighting it out at the front of the grid with this team, like I was at Suzuka, and am really excited by the visions and foundations that are already in place for the future.

I feel a real part of all things papaya and I think the stability of building with a brand as prestigious as McLaren gives me the opportunity to continue the work that we’ve started.

We’ve enjoyed some good moments so far, but I want more … and even better ones than Suzuka.

Take care, OP

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