#McLaren's Oscar Piastri struggles at Australian GP

[f1]

Red Bull's Max Verstappen sets track record McLaren's Oscar Piastri struggles at Australian GP

Red Bull's sizzling start continues as world champion Max Verstappen sets track record, but McLaren and Aussie Oscar Piastri continue to struggle at Australian Grand Prix Red Bull are favourites at Albert Park  Verstappen's record came in rainy conditions  Piastri continues to battle at McLaren  By Josh Alston For Daily Mail Australia Published: 00:16 EDT, 1 April 2023 | Updated: 00:16 EDT, 1 April 2023 Red Bull's reigning world champion Max Verstappen has set a track record in practice to confirm his favouritism for the Australian Formula One Grand Prix. Verstappen posted a sizzling fastest lap of one minute 17.565 seconds in Saturday's third and final practice session at the Albert Park circuit. The Dutchman's time eclipses the previous benchmark of Ferrari's Charles Leclerc of 1:17.868, set when claimed pole position in last year's qualifying. Australia's Oscar Piastri (1:18.713) was 14th quickest in the last practice before the qualifying session starts at 4pm AEDT. Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso (1:17.727) was second-fastest with Alpine's Esteban Ocon (1:17.938) next best. Reigning world champion and Red Bull driver Max Verstappen broke the track record at Albert Park in rainy conditions Verstappen and the Red Bull team are the hot favourites at the Australian Grand Prix to be held in Melbourne on Sunday Verstappen won the season-opening grand prix in Bahrain ahead of teammate Sergio Perez and finished second behind Perez in the next race in Saudi Arabia. But despite Red Bull's dominant one-two finishes, team principal Christian Horner is sounding a warning in Melbourne. 'It's a fantastic starting point to the season ... but we're conscious that it's a very long season, there's still 21 races to go,' Horner said. 'And we're conscious that big updates are coming from others in coming weeks as we head back to Europe. 'So there is still a lot to do and an awfully long way to go ... I have always said it's going to take three or four races to get a real pattern as to what is the actual form-book for the season.' Oscar Piastri greets fans on the Melbourne Walk prior to final practice session at Albert Park Melbourne-born Piastri, making his home-town debut, on Friday was 12th fastest of the 20 drivers in the opening practice. On Saturday, the 21-year-old completed 21 laps in a wet second session. But his McLaren teammate Lando Norris struggled, recording the slowest time of any driver - 1:19.146 - and completing only a dozen laps, the fewest of any car in the practice session. Share or comment on this article: Red Bull's Max Verstappen sets track record, McLaren's Oscar Piastri struggles at Australian GP via Formula One | Mail Online https://www.dailymail.co.uk?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490

[f1fansfantasy]

Sports Car - Oscar Piastri x Reader

Inspired by Sports Car- Tate McRae, the alley part isn’t the same but you get me.

Warnings and not is this particular order: smut, sex, kissing, touching, body fluids, minor praise kink, intrusive thoughts, fingering, friends to lovers, sex in a car, p in v, not using a condom (use protection).

Important: this is not my first language, there might be some grammatical errors and you can tell me if you find any.

Please do not read this if you’re minor, this is not for you.

-

Oscar and I were best friends, we had met at the Australian Gp back in 2023 and became closer since the first moment we saw each other.

I loved everything about him…well…I loved him..he just didn’t know it.

I tried to hide it, I was scared. It made sense, he was a celebrity, a f1 driver, an amazing person to top it all off….I was scared to lose him.

I loved to stare at him secretly when he turned around and changed in front of me, or was looking for his helmet and gloves in the McLaren garage. His big back, that grew a lot and kept growing, his fluffy hair, hazel eyes…koala eyes…and big arms he used to hug me whenever he saw me close to him.

Those addictive freckles that covered his enti- “Y/n?”- said Oscar, while driving fast in his McLaren back to the hotel we were staying at that weekend. I blushed and stared at him…fuck…I had zoned out.

I shook my head and acted like nothing happened. “You zoned out…everything’s ok?” He sounded a bit worried, Oscar had his hand on the wheel and his eyes on the road as he quickly stared at my body language, trying to interpret it the best he could.

I looked at him “yeah..sorry…didn’t notice” I said softly, trying and hoping that he didn’t read my mind at that moment. He realised there was something wrong as my eye contact with him wasn’t strong, it wasn’t normal…something was off.

He decided to turn right into this rich neighbourhood , middle of the night and park his car right in front of the sea. I had to admit the view was amazing, the moon made the sea shine and now I could see his face a bit more.

We were alone, in the darkness, the houses so big and far apart from the other no one cared about what happened there in the sports car.

I blushed as he stopped the car, took off his seatbelt and looked at me with a serious face “you aren’t ok, are you?” His voice was rough, probably from screaming on the radio of his f1 car.

I looked down and got a bit stiff “I’m sorry…I…I have a lot of things in my mind lately” I said softly.

“Are you stressed?” He asked softly “I want to help you Y/n, I know you’re struggling with something” he admitted as he rested his head on the seat and looked at me.

I swallowed and looked at the sea admitting to myself that my Aussie bestie was so hard on himself that he wouldn’t start the car without helping me first.

I felt my mouth go dry as I said the next words “I haven’t been with anyone in a long time and I’m getting intrusive thoughts all the time because of that…all the time…it doesn’t stop” I closed my eyes and sighed, thinking that he would find it weird.

Oscar stared at me sweetly even if I couldn’t see him. I pressed my head against the backrest and hoped for the world to swallow me.

“Is that why you zone out that often?” He said softly and I nodded as I stared at my feet. “Is there any way I could help? Do you need help relaxing or..?” He said worriedly, his eyes analysed my body looking for a solution.

“Oscar…I…I’m lacking comfort..well..and more..more than a friend could give if you get me…this is more of a sexual need” I admitted softly.

After a few long seconds I heard a “I could help you if you want it…” he said softly and I stared at him feeling emotional. “Oscar that’s a lot to ask…you pay for my trips to go all over the world to support you, you are an amazing friend..” I said thinking he was offering it because of pity.

“I want to help..” he said sure of himself, worried about my state, his eyes sweet, caring.. “only if you let me…we can forget this happened if it makes you uncomforta-“ I shut him up.

“Nonono…it doesn’t…not me, I just don’t want you to do it out of pity” I said a bit broken..needy even..

He then understood the reason why I hadn’t spoken with him about it… she thought he would feel pity.

“It’s not pity, I’m your friend, I care for you..I want to see you do well, I swear it isn’t pity” he whispered as he tried to move his hand closer to mine, I allowed him as he interlocked our fingers, his skin warm on mine.

I looked into his eyes and realised he wasn’t lying, I sighed and looked at him “really?….” I whispered. “If you let me” he answered and caressed my hand, I looked into his eyes and nodded acknowledging the situation….he wanted this.

“Sure?” He nodded “ok….I will” I replied and then he fixed his seat to go all the way back and lowered his window a bit, letting the cold air of the night get inside the car. “Y/n… if you want this come here…” he whispered and I looked into his eyes as I moved carefully on top of the center console of the car and sat on his lap, his thighs were comfortable.

I felt his hands on my waist as he adjusted me on top of him. “Is this ok?” He asked softly, I nodded as I looked down at him.

He put his seat back a bit to create more space and looked at me as he felt my waist, I loved his touch even if it was on top of my clothes. He moved closer and kissed my cheek, I smiled softly at him when he split “you’re sweet”, he blushed and smiled.

He touched my jaw and looked at my lips, without saying a word he saw the way my pupils grew and he moved closer to test me, so close that I could feel his breathing, my heart was pumping fast.

He teased his nose against mine and then with a hand on the back of my neck pushing me softly against him he kissed me like no one had ever done it before, it was a mixture of love and appreciation.

I slowly reciprocated the kiss, getting used to the feeling of the soft skin touching me and his arms lazily holding my body on his. I felt my cheeks getting warm and my lungs running out of air, I split to take a breather and I looked into his eyes, that was it. If I wasn’t in love with this man yet, now I was.

There was my Oscar, hair a bit messy, rosy cheeks…long lashes and shiny lips. I knew that was my place…I couldn’t tell hi- “how did that feel?” He asked as he placed his hand under my shirt and felt my waist, his eyes looking into mine for reassurance.

I touched his cheek and felt his body under mine, his thighs were strong under my frame and my core felt a bit too hot under the layer of fabric.

“That was good..I needed that” I admit shyly. He touched my hair and my waist “can I give you more?…I want you to relax…just stop me if you don’t want to keep going, I don’t want to make you feel unsafe” he whispered.

“I need you” I closed my eyes and breathed out…that was it…I was his.

He started kissing my cheek, my neck…he started a path, a circuit.

Like the ones he knew that well and knew how fast to go on a corner and what gear he should use.

His hands traced my torso and he looked into my eyes as he asked for consent as he lifted my shirt and left it on the passenger seat, he admired my chest and left a kiss on top my heart “i want to make you feel safe and loved…you deserve it Y/n” he breathed out and I touched his jaw and pecked his lips as a thank you, in his eyes you could tell he felt the feeling behind it.

Our hands started pulling the clothes off, shirt…bra…my shorts…his shorts… and everything started making a little mountain on the passenger seat.

I could notice his member under his boxers, he was feeling this make out session like I was, my panties had a stain on them and I got shy because I could feel it. His hand stopped on the elastic of them and he looked into my eyes as I was so close to him I could feel his breath, it was like we were in a bubble. “Can I?” He asked carefully, knowing there was no way back.

I nod and I felt how he discarded them as I moved myself a bit to make his job easier, that was it, I was naked in front of him. He kissed my neck for a moment and touched my cheek “you’re beautiful Y/n…I’ll take care of you ok? You just enjoy” I pecked his lips and smiled…fuck..the butterflies in my belly.

His hands got on his boxers and he lowered them down, I helped him to get them all the way off and with the rest of our clothes. “Mm nice” i whispered, a bit nervous, I haven’t done this in some time.

He smiled and slowly placed my hand on his member, I moved it softly and stroked it to stimulate him. I stole a kiss from his lips and went a bit faster, I could hear him begin to whine and softly moan for me, which made me start to become more aroused.

He looked so good, all perfect and horny underneath me in the Mclaren, absolutely made for me.

I spit on my hand and kept going, he asked me for consent and started teasing my core with his hand, I definitely underrated how big his hands would be on me as one of his fingers graced my entrance. “Hmm” The softest sounds started escaping my lips as my eyes closed.

The moans were getting louder and louder, his fingers started going faster as I felt how I drenched them in my juices. My hand stroked him a bit harder and he hid on the crook of my neck “Os…I’m close..” I breathed out “fuck…me too” he replied.

After a few moments he released on my hand as I felt the warm liquid on it and i shook until my eyes closed and I took a couple breaths as I rested against him, my body trembled from the orgasm and he took care of me until I came back to normal.

I felt his hand on my back as he caressed it “mmmh that was good…you did good” he whispered and i nodded as i kissed him softly. “Mm that was amazing” I blushed and he pulled my hips up for a second until he aligned himself under my body.

“Y/n…we don’t have to go all the way if you don’t want to…” he whispered as he touched my hips, hoping I wasn’t overstimulated and the touches weren’t affecting me in that way.

“What if I do?” i whispered and kissed his neck as he tilted his head back, it was intimate, not that sexual. He hummed and touched my waist. “Then I want this too…. Uhm I don’t think I have a condom” he whispered while looking into my eyes.

“Just pull out…” I whispered “I trust you” I touched his cheek as I looked into his eyes. He swallowed and nodded as he lowered me on his length after asking if I was ready and I felt how it slowly entered my body “hmmmm fuck” I took a couple deep breaths as I touched his hair and he caressed my hips “like that…good girl” I opened my mouth and closed it immediately.

“Oh you liked that?” He teased me, I blushed and I looked down….I couldn’t believe we were doing this.

“I maybe did” I answered snarky, he took my hips as he heard it and started a fast but nice pace considering I haven’t done it in a while…I immediately got dumb on him “fuck…God…ahh mmm fuck” I moaned as I could barely open my eyes, my chest jumped and I got so drunk on the image of him sitting legs wide open on that seat while thrusting into me.

He smiled and went a bit faster as the moans in the car were getting stronger and the sweat was increasing, I held onto him as I had a smile on my face and my legs were as open as they could be on that seat around his hips, his hips drilling into me.

“Oscar…Oscar…clo-close” I was drunk on the feeling as he nodded and allowed me to collapse on his chest as he felt me finish, he cared for me first and then I felt him pull out and do on his belly, not in me…he kept his promise.

After a couple seconds he took some breaths as he held me and touched my hair, he stared at me with adoration. “So good…you did perfect…how do you feel?” He whispered as he kissed my forehead.

I pecked his lips and hugged his torso “thank you….that was amazing…i love you” I was so tired it escaped my lips and I didn’t notice, he looked at me and his heart started beating faster…she loved me? I had a chance?….

“Y/n please look at me” he begged in a whisper, his eyes deep as the sea in front of us. I did, his eyes looked dark, his pupils consuming all of them. “Yes?” I yawned mid answer.

He touched my cheek “do you really love me or did you love what we did?” He asked…hoping it was the first answer, our bodies still stuck against the other, warm and sticky.

“I wont lie because you know me” I whispered, my voice soft as i touched his cheek, he nuzzled it “I love you…I can’t hide it…not anymore after this…and if I’m honest I also loved what we did” I admitted and turned red as a Ferrari “how can I not fall for someone like you?” i wondered out loud.

He smiled and touched my hair “I love you too…I want to take care of you, like tonight but for everyday…in every way I can y/n” he said softly and I felt a tear on my eye “don’t cry for me” he kissed my forehead, I felt home.

“Do you want us to be more or is this too soon?” He asked and I looked up at him and I pecked his lips with a smile and teary eyes “not too soon for me”.

He chuckled and wrapped me tightly in his arms “I love you Y/n” and I nuzzled on his shoulder and answered the same “love you Os”.

*this is only meant to be here, all rights reserved*

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Norris reveals a lot of damage after Q1 incident as he admits McLaren a long way off recent form

Lando Norris has admitted that he was nursing plenty of car damage after taking a trip through the gravel during Friday’s wet-dry qualifying for the Belgian Grand Prix, compromising his efforts thereafter. Norris arrived at Spa-Francorchamps off the back of two successive podiums but has a battle on his hands to repeat the feat this time out, with a wild off-track excursion at Turn 15 in Q1 affecting his run to seventh on the grid. READ MORE: Penalty-hit Verstappen fastest in Belgian GP qualifying as Leclerc set to start from pole Speaking post-session, Norris shared his satisfaction at reaching Q3 at the end of a “tough” session that was made more complicated by his incident and the move from wet tyres to slicks. “I’m pretty happy actually,” said Norris. “I think my laps were pretty reasonable, I just had a lot of damage after Q1, so it was a bit more of a struggle probably than some of the others. This feature is currently not available because you need to provide consent to functional cookies. Please update your cookie preferences Qualifying Highlights: 2023 Belgian Grand Prix “But to get into Q3 was already a good job by us, with the damage we had. My Q3 lap was decent, but not a lot more I think I could have done.” Asked how he’s feeling about the rest of the weekend, which includes the Sprint Shootout and Sprint race double on Saturday, he replied: “Too early to tell. We’re definitely not as quick… We’re a long way off where we were in the last few races. READ MORE: Verstappen targeting victory in Belgium despite five-place grid penalty for Sunday’s race “Our straight-line speed is pretty poor, but Oscar did a good… His middle sector is only two-tenths off Verstappen, who’s six-tenths quicker than everyone else in the middle sector. “I think there are some positive signs, hopefully that turns into better race pace, but I think we would have been definitely more up there if I didn’t go off in Q1. Drivers started qualifying on intermediates before moving over to slicks as conditions improved Piastri, meanwhile, also feels McLaren could have bagged a stronger result had the wet conditions stayed around for a little longer – the Australian settling for sixth, which becomes fifth after Verstappen’s penalty. “It was decent,” he commented. “I think given the last two weekends, I almost feel a little bit disappointed with P6. We were having a very, very strong session, maybe the last part wasn’t amazing. READ MORE: Leclerc hails ‘big steps forward’ en route to Spa pole as he ponders whether Ferrari can keep Red Bull behind on race day “I think as the track dried, it was getting more back to normal, let’s say, but that’s not normal for me because I’ve never done a lap in an F1 car here! I think I was just lacking a bit of confidence at the end to push. It dried up maybe a bit more than I thought and I was quite enjoying the mixed conditions. “It’s a shame that we can’t be a bit higher, it’s obviously quite close, but it’s in a decent spot for Sunday. Obviously Max has got a penalty, so we’ll be fifth on the grid, sixth at Turn 1! Not a bad day’s work.” via Formula 1 News https://www.formula1.com

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Daniel Ricciardo could make shock return to the F1 grid this season with Red Bull-owned AlphaTauri

Daniel Ricciardo could make a shock return to the F1 grid within weeks - as Aussie star rules out staying in his current role as Red Bull's reserve driver Ricciardo signed with Red Bull in 2022 Also signed with AlphaTauri by default  Could score a drive with Italian team  By Ollie Lewis For Daily Mail Australia and Josh Alston For Daily Mail Australia Published: 20:51 EDT, 11 May 2023 | Updated: 20:51 EDT, 11 May 2023 Aussie Formula One star Daniel Ricciardo could be set to return to the grid this season with AlphaTauri poised to sack their struggling rookie driver Nyck de Vries. Red Bull motorsport adviser Helmut Marko has reportedly given de Vries an ultimatum to improve his performance by June or be replaced.  Ricciardo, who is the third driver for both Red Bull Racing and AlphaTauri, is being considered as a possible replacement for the 28-year-old Dutchman.  If the move materialises, it would see the Australian driver return to AlphaTauri, where he previously raced for two seasons in 2012 and 2013 before moving to Red Bull Racing. It comes after Red Bull team boss Christian Horner said at the Australian GP that Ricciardo was 10 minutes away from being ready to compete in F1 again. Ricciardo could make a sooner-than-expected return to the F1 grid with Red Bull-owned AlphaTauri potentially elevating the Aussie driver this June Ricciardo's immediate future depends on the form of rookie AlphaTauri driver Nyck de Vries, who has been given an ultimatum to perform or perish Ricciardo joined Red Bull as a reserve driver this year after a messy divorce from McLaren, meaning he also signed up as a reserve driver for AlphaTauri. Meanwhile, the Aussie has provided a timeline for when he will get behind the wheel of Red Bull's dominant RB19 car, as the Australian ruled out the prospect of being the team's third driver for the long term.  The 33-year-old stepped away from the F1 grid at the end of last season following a miserable campaign with McLaren which saw him replaced by fellow Australian Oscar Piastri. A return to Red Bull soon followed, where Ricciardo has been forced to watch from afar as Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez go toe-to-toe for the world championship.  But as part of his role as third driver, Ricciardo will get a run behind the wheel of Red Bull's car this year, and revealed that he is due to hit the track after the British Grand Prix at Silverstone.  'I've been in the simulator, but I will drive the RB19 [for the first time] in July after the Silverstone race,' the eight-time grand prix winner told ESPN. 'Then maybe I'll get another one after Monza as well in September.'  Ricciardo took up a position as a reserve driver with Red Bull this season but he hasn't yet had a run in the all-conquering RB19 That is all due to change at the Silverstone Grand Prix - provided he's not racing for Alpha Tauri by then 'I'm certainly excited to drive a fast car, but also a car that maybe still feels familiar to me – it does a little bit in the sim. But I'm just excited to drive again and to just try to remind a team obviously I once had a lot of success with that I can still turn a fast lap,' he continued. The 33-year-old added that he has 'unfinished business' in F1 and is planning to make an immediate return to the grid.  'I'm definitely still in a really good place – I'm very happy with this,' he said of his 2023 reserve driver role. 'Does it mean that I'm happy doing this for the next two or three years? Probably not. But I think for this year it's certainly a good thing for me. 'Right now, I do want to get back on the grid next year. I do feel like there's certainly some unfinished business. I'm staying in the loop and staying prepared and whatever.' Share or comment on this article: Daniel Ricciardo could make shock return to the F1 grid this season with Red Bull-owned AlphaTauri via Formula One | Mail Online https://www.dailymail.co.uk?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490

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McLaren F1 rookie Oscar Piastri finishes with points after 'difficult' Monaco Grand Prix

Oscar Piastri finishes with Formula 1 points for the second time in his six-race career - as the Aussie rookie admits having Max Verstappen in front of him was 'useful' in a 'difficult' Monaco Grand Prix Piastri finishes tenth in the Monte Carlo GP Rookie says it was his most difficult race yet Piastri said trailing Verstappen assisted him By James Cooney For Daily Mail Australia Published: 20:10 EDT, 28 May 2023 | Updated: 20:10 EDT, 28 May 2023 Oscar Piastri has plenty of reasons to smile after claiming tenth position in Sunday's Monaco Grand Prix in Monte Carlo - a race the McLaren rookie described as his most difficult yet. The 22-year-old, who started 11th on the grid after missing Q3 by just 0.018 seconds on Saturday, survived a tricky circuit that started dry and finished slippery.  Piastri seemed like he might finish just outside the points after being passed by teammate Lando Norris in the final stages, but when Yuki Tsunoda struggled in the slick conditions Piastri took his chance. It was the young Australian's second points finish of his maiden F1 season - which he admitted afterwards was his most difficult, considering the slippery conditions and his disappointing practice sessions. 'I think so definitely. I think after, you know, from a personal note, after all the practice sessions, I wasn't very pleased with my driving,' Piastri said. Oscar Piastri has claimed tenth position in Sunday's Monaco Grand Prix in Monte Carlo It was the young Australian's second points finish of his maiden F1 season - which he admitted afterwards was his most difficult race yet '(I was) consistently six tenths off (which) wasn't a very nice feeling. So (from) that to bring it a lot closer for qualifying — and end up with a point today is yeah, a very, very positive step forward. 'The race itself was probably the most tricky of the year as well. So yeah, just a tricky weekend.  'But, you know, these are the weekends where you learn the most, trying to make that jump from practice to quali and also in these conditions — I don't think it gets too much harder than Monaco in the rain on slicks. So yeah, happy with that.' Piastri said that having race leader Max Verstappen in front of him when the weather turned nasty was very convenient. 'Having Max right in front of me was actually quite useful in some ways,' Piastri explained. 'That was my first time on slicks on a rainy track, in an F1 car, and having Max there… I obviously knew that if there's going to be anyone that's probably going to be okay, it's probably going to be him.' The Aussie admitted there were a few close shaves where he almost came undone.  Piastri said that having race leader Max Verstappen in front of him when the weather turned nasty was very convenient The Aussie's second points finish of the season moves him to 13th in the drivers’ championship 'I don't think there were any touches, but some very, very close moments, especially when we were on the slicks,' he said. 'One time, I got keyed up on the radio to talk and almost put it on the wall mid-sentence! 'I won't do that next time. But yeah, a few close calls.' Piastri’s second top ten finish of the season moves him to 13th in the drivers’ championship, while McLaren is sixth. Share or comment on this article: McLaren F1 rookie Oscar Piastri finishes with points after 'difficult' Monaco Grand Prix via Formula One | Mail Online https://www.dailymail.co.uk?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490

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Mark Webber insists Oscar Piastri isn't feeling any pressure on the eve of his first Australian GP

Mark Webber insists Oscar Piastri isn't feeling any pressure on the eve of his first Australian GP and 'doesn't need any advice' ahead of his Melbourne debut despite McLaren's woes By Dan Cancian For Daily Mail Australia Published: 11:06 EDT, 29 March 2023 | Updated: 11:06 EDT, 29 March 2023 Mark Webber believes Oscar Piastri doesn't need any advice ahead of his Australian Grand Prix debut, despite a difficult start to his first season in Formula 1. The 21-year-old replaced Daniel Ricciardo at McLaren after spending last season as the reserve driver for Alpine and arrives at Albert Park on the back of two challenging races. Having retired in Bahrain in the season opener due to electrical issues, Piastri finished 15th in Saudi Arabia as McLaren's struggles continued. But Webber insisted the bumpy start to his Formula 1's career would not dampen the young Melbournian's spirit ahead of his home Grand Prix.  'It’s a tremendous moment for him to race here,' Webber told News Corp. 'He’s looking forward to it, he is very relaxed.  Mark Webber believes Oscar Piastri doesn't need any advice ahead of his first Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park in Melbourne this weekend  The young Australian has endured a difficult start to his rookie season in Formula 1 'It’s one race of 23 on the calendar, it’s a home race, of course, but he is looking forward to getting the paddock and starting work.' Webber, who manages Piastri, finished sixth in Melbourne in his Formula 1 debut and went on to make 215 starts in the sport between 2002 and 2013. Piastri's career is in its infancy, but Webber is confident the young gun doesn't need any advice from him. 'I don’t think [he is feeling extra pressure],' he said.   'Once the helmet is on and he’s in the car and he’s driving around the track, he wants a result at every single circuit around the world, no matter if it’s Bahrain, or Saudi [Arabia] or here. 'He doesn’t need any [advice from me]. He is very much looking forward to the weekend.' A world champion in Formula 2 and Formula 3 in 2020 and 2021, Piastri has long been considered one of Formula 1's rising stars. But he was eager to keep expectations in check ahead of his debut season, warning it could time for him to get used of the demands of Formula 1 after spending last season as the reserve driver for Alpine.  His caution appears to have been justified, albeit through no fault of his own as McLaren have been badly off the pace in the first two outings. 'He has had so long out. It just shows you that it is still even hard to take now, obviously the gap that he had,' Webber added.  'So, he is getting back up to speed and learning as much as he can.'  Piastri retired in the season opener in Bahrain and finished 15th in Saudi Arabia Webber finished fifth in his Formula 1 debut in Melbourne and was allowed to stand on the podium, much to the delight of the Aussie fans Earlier this week, Alan Jones was even more bullish about Piastri's prospects and backed him to become a world champion. Since Jones claimed the world title in 1980 no other Australian has finished top of the drivers standings, but the 76-year-old is confident Piastri can emulate his triumph.  'I think he can go on to be world champion,' Jones told the Herald Sun on Saturday. 'Every now and again someone comes along that has got an enormous amount of talent and I reckon he is one of those sorts of people.' Share or comment on this article: Mark Webber insists Oscar Piastri isn't feeling any pressure on the eve of his first Australian GP via Formula One | Mail Online https://www.dailymail.co.uk?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490

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Australia's last F1 world champion backs Oscar Piastri to win a title despite McLaren's issues

Australia’s last F1 world champion backs prodigious young gun Oscar Piastri to win a title despite McLaren's issues: ‘Everything he has ever put his bum in he has won' By Dan Cancian For Daily Mail Australia Published: 04:12 EDT, 26 March 2023 | Updated: 04:12 EDT, 26 March 2023 Formula 1 great Alan Jones has backed Oscar Piastri to become a world champion and believes the young rookie has already shown in his talent in a struggling McLaren. Since Jones claimed the world title in 1980 no other Australian has finished top of the drivers standings, but the 76-year-old is confident Piastri can emulate his triumph.  'I think he can go on to be world champion,' Jones said on Saturday. 'Every now and again someone comes along that has got an enormous amount of talent and I reckon he is one of those sorts of people.' A world champion in Formula 2 and Formula 3 in 2020 and 2021, Piastri has long been considered one of Formula 1's rising stars. Oscar Piastri has been backed to win a Formula 1 title by former world champion Alan Jones Piastri finished 15th in Saudi Arabia (above) after retiring in his debut in Bahrain  While success in junior series is hard to replicate in Formula 1, Jones noted Piastri's knack for winning races at every level he's competed means he will deliver results. 'Everything he has ever put his bum in, he has won and there are not too many people that can say that,' he said. 'He has certainly got the ability to go on and be a world champion.'  The 21-year-old replaced Daniel Ricciardo at McLaren after spending last season as the reserve driver for Alpine and was eager to keep expectations in check ahead of his debut season. His caution appears to have been justified, with the Woking team badly off the pace in the first two outings. Piastri was forced to retire in the season opener in Bahrain due to an electrical issue and finished 15th in Saudi Arabia, while teammate Lando Norris finished 17th in both races. Piastri and Norris are respectively second-last and bottom of the drivers' championship standings, but Jones believes his compatriot has already shown glimpses of his talent in a struggling car. 'He has had a little bit of bad luck, none of which was his doing,' Jones said. 'But he has certainly shown the sort of performances that we expected that he would, particularly the last one [the Saudi Arabia GP], I thought he drove particularly well. Alan Jones (left) and Damon Hill (right) have both been impressed with Piastri's debut Piastri is 19th in the drivers' standings after two races, with teammate Lando Norris (left) bottom of the table below him after finishing 17th in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia The McLaren has badly struggled for pace in the opening two races of the season  'He hasn’t driven anything for 12 months, so to come in after a 12 month lay-off and then go to Formula 1 and go to circuits he has never been to before, it’s a bit of a steep learning curve for him.' Former world champion Damon Hill echoed Jones' stance, insisting Piastri already looked at 'home' in Formula 1 just two races into his career. '[He has been] very solid, very professional and confident,' the 1996 world champion said. 'He does not look at all overawed by Formula 1. Oscar seems at home [in Formula 1], which is half the battle. He looks like he knows he should be there.' Share or comment on this article: Australia's last F1 world champion backs Oscar Piastri to win a title despite McLaren's issues via Formula One | Mail Online https://www.dailymail.co.uk?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490

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Verstappen claims first ever Melbourne pole as Russell bags front row start

Max Verstappen drew level with Fernando Alonso by taking his 22nd career pole position in qualifying for the 2023 Australian Grand Prix – while Mercedes’ George Russell qualified second and Sergio Perez ended up 20th after a Q1 crash. Verstappen set a time of 1m 16.732s to take his first Australian Grand Prix pole position ahead of Russell, who was 0.236s off in Q3. Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton ended up third on the grid, 0.372s off the pace, while Fernando Alonso was 0.407s off the pace in P4. AS IT HAPPENED: Follow all the action from qualifying for the Australian Grand Prix Carlos Sainz qualified fifth for Ferrari in front of Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll, while Charles Leclerc struggled on the way to P7. Alex Albon managed a stellar P8 for Williams to leave Alpine’s Pierre Gasly ninth and Nico Hulkenberg 10th for Haas. Yellow flags flew in Q1 – where the official risk of rain was 90% – as Logan Sargeant went off track, just before Perez brought out red flags by locking up and beaching his Red Bull in the Turn 3 gravel having struggled throughout FP3. Conditions stayed dry and Verstappen set the fastest time in Q1 ahead of George Russell and Lewis Hamilton. 1 Max Verstappen VER Red Bull Racing 1:16.732 2 George Russell RUS Mercedes 1:16.968 3 Lewis Hamilton HAM Mercedes 1:17.104 4 Fernando Alonso ALO Aston Martin 1:17.139 5 Carlos Sainz SAI Ferrari 1:17.270 In Q2, Verstappen continued his run to top the session ahead of Alonso, which set up a nail-biting Q3 where Verstappen took provisional pole in Q3 but reported gearshift and battery issues. Despite that, he improved to cement pole with a blistering effort. Alpine’s Esteban Ocon was caught in traffic and eliminated from Q2 in P11, 0.08s off safety, while Yuki Tsunoda was visibly annoyed at being held up in the pit lane weighbridge before he was eliminated in P12 for AlphaTauri. McLaren’s Lando Norris made a brace of mistakes in Q2 and finished P13 ahead of Haas’s Kevin Magnuseen, while Nyck de Vries finished P15 in qualifying for AlphaTauri. Home hero Oscar Piastri was 0.047s off safety in Q1 as the McLaren driver qualified 16th ahead of Alfa Romeo’s Zhou Guanyu and Williams’ Sargeant in P18. Valtteri Bottas hit traffic in Q1 and qualified 19th, leaving Perez 20th after his Q1 excursion. More to follow... This feature is currently not available because you need to provide consent to functional cookies. Please update your cookie preferences 2023 Australian GP Qualifying: Perez out in Q1 after beaching his Red Bull in the gravel via Formula 1 News https://www.formula1.com

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OSCARS AWARDS: The stunning stats behind Piastris stellar junior career as he gets set for F1 debut

Oscar Piastri will graduate to F1 with McLaren in 2023 – taking Daniel Ricciardo’s spot alongside Lando Norris – as he looks to build on an enviable racing record to date and perform on the big stage. Ahead of his Grand Prix debut, we decided to run through his motorsport exploits so far and look at the key stats and numbers he's notched up along the way… -- 3 -- Piastri has won three single-seater titles on his way to the F1 grid, claiming the Formula Renault Eurocup crown with French outfit R-ace GP in 2019 before landing back-to-back F2 and F3 championships with Italian squad Prema in 2020 and 2021. READ MORE: McLaren rookie Piastri explains why he chose #81 as his race number for 2023 He also finished second to British racer Jamie Caroline while contesting the 2017 British F4 championship with Arden Motorsport – the outfit co-created and formerly run by now Red Bull team boss Christian Horner. -- 14 -- With Piastri’s racing taking him across the UK, Europe and beyond, he won races at 14 tracks while climbing the ranks, starting with Oulton Park, Snetterton, Knockhill and Silverstone in British F4, before adding Spa-Francorchamps, the Nurburgring, the Hungaroring, and the Yas Marina Circuit in Formula Renault Eurocup. On his promotion to F3, Piastri grew the list with wins at the Red Bull Ring and the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, with the Bahrain International Circuit, Monza, Sochi and Jeddah following in F2. It means he has already triumphed at nine current F1 venues. Piastri progresses to F1 with McLaren on the back of a glittering junior racing career -- 16 -- During his time in the aforementioned categories, Piastri delivered plenty of eye-catching qualifying laps to bag himself 16 pole positions. Six of those came in British F4 in 2017, five in Formula Renault Eurocup two years later, and five throughout the 2021 F2 campaign. -- 21 -- In addition to a healthy pole tally, Piastri raced his way to a total of 21 victories from 2016 to 2021, again hitting six in British F4, then taking seven in Formula Renault Eurocup, two in F3 and six in F2. The Australian also set 21 fastest laps during the same period. READ MORE: ‘He’s a very strong team mate to learn from’ – Piastri excited to work with Norris at McLaren -- 46 -- Given his victory record, Piastri unsurprisingly made plenty of podium appearances from F4 to F2, taking home 46 trophies in just over five years of competition. That gives him a 35% rostrum conversion rate for all the single-seater races he has contested up to this point. -- 60.5 -- After pipping Sauber junior Theo Pourchaire and fellow 2023 F1 rookie Logan Sargeant (now signed to Williams) to the F3 title, Piastri enjoyed a dominant victory margin in F2. He ended the 2021 season 60.5 points clear of Ferrari-backed Robert Shwartzman, with now Alfa Romeo racer Zhou Guanyu nine further back. This feature is currently not available because you need to provide consent to functional cookies. Please update your cookie preferences Oscar Piastri's best moments so far -- 105 -- Piastri was a scoring machine across his junior career, with 105 points finishes giving him an impressive conversion rate of 80%. However, this would have been even higher if a handful of guest appearances during the 2018 Formula Renault NEC championship had counted for points. -- 131 -- To put the above numbers into more context, Piastri’s points, podiums and wins until now have come from 131 races, spanning his first outing in F4 UAE at Yas Marina on December 16, 2016 to the F2 finale at the same venue on December 12, 2021. READ MORE: Why Ricciardo reckons his McLaren struggles can give replacement Piastri a ‘head start’ in his maiden season -- 1,343 -- Across those 131 races, and with various scoring systems in place, Piastri amassed a whopping 1,343 points, with attention now turning to what he can achieve when he arrives in F1 and begins the latest chapter of his burgeoning motorsport career. via Formula 1 News https://www.formula1.com

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Daniel Ricciardo is overheard giving HUGE clue to his future as fans lash out at 'disgusting' label

Daniel Ricciardo is overheard giving a HUGE clue to his future in F1 as fans lash out at 'disgusting' two-word label given to Aussie on TV coverage Pre-race footage might give clue as to what Daniel Ricciardo's plans are for 2023  Aussie veteran mentions taking a year off and returning in 2024 to Sergio Perez F1 fans have been left furious over 'struggling again' label assigned to Ricciardo By James Cooney For Daily Mail Australia Published: 20:08 EDT, 4 September 2022 | Updated: 20:08 EDT, 4 September 2022 Daniel Ricciardo had a miserable night at the Dutch Grand Prix on the weekend, but a piece of footage may give a clue to what the Aussie F1 driver plans to do next year now that McLaren have axed him. The Aussie recorded one of his worst results of the season, finishing 17th after qualifying in 18th spot, but it was a pre-race clip of him that got all the attention. Ricciardo was recorded talking to Red Bull driver Sergio Perez and appeared to mention the prospect of taking a year away from F1 before returning to the sport in 2024.  Australian Daniel Ricciardo was recorded talking to Sergio Perez and appeared to mention the prospect of taking a year away from F1 before returning to the sport in 2024 The Aussie veteran recorded one of his worst results of the season at the Dutch GP, finishing 17th in a race won by Max Verstappen The discussion isn't clearly discernable, but the 33-year-old veteran can be heard saying, 'Take year off and come back in 2024'. There has been widespread speculation that Ricciardo could find it difficult to get a drive with a top team next season and may not want to race for a back marker like Williams. Before the Belgian Grand Prix he hinted at the possibility of taking a year off if the jobs on offer weren't to his liking, saying: 'If the stars don't align and it doesn't make perfect sense and I need to take time to re-evaluate, then that's what I need to do.'  That wasn't the only piece of pre-race trackside footage that had F1 fans talking. A graphic during a TV segment read 'struggling again' under Ricciardo's name after he qualified for the race in 18th position.  Pre-race TV footage broadcast a graphic reading 'Struggling again' under Ricciardo's name. Many fans feel that this is a low blow and have criticised the way the Aussie has been treated The labels assigned to other drivers were more simple and complimentary, leading some Ricciardo fans to brand the graphic 'disgusting' and bordering on 'harassment'.  One fan wrote on Twitter: 'Clearly degrading and disregarding his efforts. Whoever did this must be a McLaren fan for sure.' Another commented: 'Interesting to see F1 always claiming to be against toxic behaviour and harassement, just to be a prime example of toxicity when Ricciardo is 'struggling again' A third said:  'This is so disgusting.. it's not even a typo. Clearly degrading and disregarding his efforts. Whoever did this must be a McLaren fan for sure.' Daniel Ricciardo will be replaced by Aussie debutant Oscar Piastri at McLaren next year and is yet to reveal his future plans This week, F1 travels back to Monza where Ricciardo tasted victory for McLaren in 2021. 'I'll try to bring back last year's magic,' Ricciardo said after the Dutch GP.  The veteran will be replaced by Aussie F1 debutant Oscar Piastri at McLaren next year and is yet to reveal his future plans. Advertisement Share or comment on this article: Daniel Ricciardo is overheard giving HUGE clue to his future as fans lash out at 'disgusting' label via Formula One | Mail Online https://www.dailymail.co.uk?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490