L'vintage is now finished and archived, but the time has come to take stock of what happened on the track. Looking back, she undoubtedly stands out Oscar Piastri's extraordinary 2023 rookie season, since his debut with McLaren after chaos of August 2022, first victory of the Sprint Race in Formula 1.
A record-breaking rookie, Piastri's 2023 season
Oscar Piastri is not just any rookie and he has not only demonstrated it this year in F1, but also in the preparatory categories. The Australian born in 2001 took part in the championship Formula 3 Press in 2020, graduating rookie champion with only 3 points ahead of Theo Pourchaire.
In 2021 history repeats itself, but this time in Formula 2. Again with Prema e always in rookie guise, Piastres conquest the title of champion of the category with 11 podiums, among which 6 victories. He is also awarded the Anthoine prize Hubert, recognition that is awarded to best rookie of the Formula 2 season.
The Alpine-Piastri case
After won both F3 and F2 on the first try, the young talent stayed without seat in Formula 1 for the 2022 season. Alpine, the team that has been following Oscar Piastri since 2020, has decided to secure his place third driver.
Il August 2, 2022 but something happened great plot twist. With the announcement of the passage of Fernando Alonso from Alpine to Aston Martin for the following season, the French team found itself with an empty seat. Alpine therefore communicates that Oscar Piastri will compete alongside Esteban Ocon in 2023. After a few hours, it appears on the Australian's social profiles Piastri's denial same, that he replies that he has not signed any contract for the following season.
The case is brought before the commission for the recognition of FIA contracts, who however, one month after the outbreak of this drama, validates the contract of Oscar Piastri with McLaren. The same day, the Woking team announces that the Australian will race for them for the next 2 seasons.
Piastri's extraordinary 2023 season in Formula 1
Un slow start to the 2023 season that of Oscar piastri in Formula 1, which he found himself having to face several obstacles. The first is certainly that of media pressure following the case contracted with Alpine, to which the difficulties of the first two grand prix.
Finally the Melbourne, at his house, Oscar comes eighth and wins the first points of the season. In the first ones In 9 races of the year he collects only 5 points driving a McLaren in obvious difficulty. The updates on Norris's car they work and at the next grand prix, that of Silverstone, also arrive for Oscar Piastri who finishes the race in 4th place.
During the Sprint Race in Belgium, McLaren number #81, after an excellent performance, gets the second position, reaching the podium for the first time. The second podium of the season for Piastri arrives in Japan, after several races in which he always remained outside the top 5.
In Qatar, the young Australian gets pole position during the Sprint Shootout and a few hours later, he takes it home victory of his first Sprint Race. During the Qatari race on Sunday, Piastri once again climbs to the second step of the podium.
Summing up
Oscar Piastri concludes the 2023 season in Formula 1 at 9th place with 97 points, thus receiving the rookie of the year award. The McLaren driver gets the highest position achieved by a rookie since 2019, when Albon was classified 8th with 92 points. With his 97 points, Piastres fits into the second place in the rookie rankings, whose first place belongs to Lewis Hamilton who in his debut season, 2007, he scored 109 points.
Was a great year for Oscardespite the initial difficulties. Surely debuting as a rookie alongside a driver like Lando Norris wasn't easy. Although the age difference between the two is only 2 years, Norris has been part of the Circus since 2019 and previous experience which has English unit to the indisputable talent, allowed him to make the difference this year.
Number #4 scored 205 points, more than double the points scored by Oscar. Nonetheless Piastri managed to achieve something that Norris still lacks, or the first victory in Formula 1, even if in a Sprint. In the 2024, the Australian will certainly be at ease in the papaya-colored car and given what he has shown in the past, an internal struggle on equal terms certainly cannot be ruled out!
