Oscar Piastri has taken to Formula 1 with ease so far in his rookie campaign, with the Australian having already shown that he has the pace to challenge the frontrunners.
Following a slow start to the season due to McLaren’s MCL60, Piastri has come to life, as has team-mate Lando Norris.
McLaren’s huge upgrades package at the Austrian Grand Prix has reinvigorated the side and the car, which has gone from being a backmarker to a podium contender.
Piastri has sensationally claimed two top five finishes in the last four races and would’ve claimed a podium at the British Grand Prix had it not been for a Safety Car.
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He was also a podium contender recently at the Belgian Grand Prix, although he retired on the first lap after colliding with Carlos Sainz at the opening corner.
There was delight for the Aussie in the Belgian GP sprint race at least, where he claimed second behind Max Verstappen.
He’s certainly set to achieve great things in F1, especially as he’s experienced success in every category he’s raced in.
Piastri has since revealed his ultimate athlete, made up from some of his idols and sporting heroes who he takes inspiration from.
Piastri’s ultimate athlete would have the feet of Lionel Messi, the legs of Usain Bolt, the hands of Steve Smith, Rafael Nadal’s strength and Michael Jordan’s mindset.
Speaking about Jordan in particular, Piastri revealed that he was a “real role model”.
“I loved that he just did everything to win,” Piastri said on his website.
“People tried to figure out ways to stop him, so he just brought the whole team with him. I admire how he was hard on people in a respectful way, he was a real role model and he pushed everyone around him to be better,” said Piastri about Michael Jordan.
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Piastri also explained his reasoning behind Australian cricketer Smith, who he hailed for having “phenomenal hand-eye coordination”.
“He has quite a unique style that sticks out,” Piastri said.
“He is based around phenomenal hand-eye coordination and incredible patience that allows him to go out and consistently get big runs. He is also super reliable and it’s rare when he doesn’t get several centuries in a series.”