Oscar Piastri has revealed a feeling of optimism ahead of his Formula 1 debut at the 2023 FIA Formula 1 World Championship season opener in Bahrain.
Piastri was announced as a driver for McLaren F1 Team mid-way through the 2022 season with Daniel Ricciardo failing to meet the team’s expectations. The Australian driver won the FIA Formula 3 and FIA Formula 2 Championships back-to-back and was enrolled as BWT Alpine F1 Team’s reserve driver last season and was expected to replace Fernando Alonso in the future, however with McLaren putting faith in him, he signed the deal with the English team.
Piastri will make his F1 debut this weekend at the Bahrain International Circuit and will be looking to push for points as McLaren looks to improve on a rather disappointing testing session last week.
“I’m excited for my first race in Formula 1 and for it to be in papaya is really special. I’ve been waiting a long time for my Formula 1 debut so it’s great that the moment is finally here.”
The Australian hasn’t raced in over a year after spending a year as a reserve driver and he has said he is looking forward to getting back onto the track and fighting for points.
“I’m feeling prepared for the challenges ahead and to get back on track in a competitive environment. It’s been a while since I last raced so I’m itching to get going again. The work I’ve put in with the team over the past few months and the welcome I’ve had from McLaren and the fans has set me up well for the season ahead.
“I still have a lot to learn and some bits to get my head around with the MCL60. As a team, we’ve still got a lot of work to do to get to where we want to be, but I’m feeling optimistic for the season.”
Lando Norris – “we’re working hard to continue to push us forward to get us back to where we want to be”
Lando Norris enters his fifth Formula 1 season and for the first time in his career, he has become the team leader and will have to support a rookie in Piastri as both drivers will have to maximise point-scoring opportunities.
While Norris has had six F1 podiums, the British driver will be aiming for his first win and whilst that may look realistic at the moment with the teams performance in pre-season testing, he must be ready to snatch any opportunity he gets this season.
“It’s finally race week and I can’t wait to jump back in the MCL60 and get on track. I’m entering my fifth season in Formula 1 now but I’m as excited as ever to go racing and get the season underway.”
Norris also touched on the three-day testing that the teams participated in, and while McLaren were extremely disappointed with their progress, they will be hoping to have a competitive weekend.
“Testing wasn’t without its challenges, but we’re working hard to continue to push us forward to get us back to where we want to be on the grid. We’ve learned a lot about the car, and we’ve already implemented some tweaks to optimise performance where we can.”
