Formula 1 is a busy and intense world. While so much interaction can be done online these days, real-world connections still count.
Young racing drivers usually catch the attention of those in the F1 paddock once they’re on the support bill, as few of those engaged in the exhaust grand prix grind have time to watch racing going on in different parts of the world at the same time. But there are some exceptions, and one is Mark Webber.
The former Red Bull driver and World Endurance champion is no stranger to the British Formula 4 paddock, where Oscar Piastri raced in his first full year in single-seater cars. Webber also knew the Arden team that Piastri drove for well, as his protege Mitch Evans raced for Arden International in GP3 at a time when it competed under the Australian flag and used Webber’s initials in its team name.
Piastri stayed with Arden as he moved into European racing in the Formula Renault 2.0 category, finishing eighth in its Eurocup in 2018. For his rookie year in cars, Piastri was partnered with Pedro Matos who would go on to become a highly-rated engineer in junior single-seaters. The pair were reunited later in Piastri’s career.
Although Arden was not a competitive team that year, the fact that Piastri’s F4 rival Logan Sargeant almost scored twice as many points and fellow rookie Christian Lundgaard was unlucky not to win the title sapped a lot of the momentum Piastri had built with a brilliant British F4 campaign the year before. Their respective journeys up the single-seater ladder are each full of ‘what if?’ scenarios that could very easily have left them in the scenario Piastri is in today as he argues his F1 future.
But before he did, he spent a second year in the Eurocup, which for 2019 switched to Formula Regional cars while keeping its old name. Moving to the crack R-ace GP team put Piastri in a position to be a title contender from the off, and he made the most of it with seven wins.
For the final round at Yas Marina, Piastri was beaten to pole for the opening race by title rival Victor Martins. But a slow for Martins dropped him behind Piastri, who held the lead to the flag. Martins got to show his true pace in the title-deciding second race, as this time he started well and went on to take an utterly dominant win. Piastri finished in fourth, which was enough to be crowned champion.
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