MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA (AP) – Oscar Piastri is hoping his debut Formula One drive on home soil at the Australian Grand Prix on Sunday will be more successful than the first time he stood on the grid in Melbourne.
The first-season driver, who grew up in a nearby suburb to the Albert Park circuit, was chosen as a flag holder for Toro Rosso Ferrari driver Daniil Kyvat in Melbourne in 2016. But, to his disappointment, a chance to meet the Russian driver did not eventuate because Kyvat experienced electrical difficulties on the formation lap.
“I was holding Daniil Kyvat’s flag and he broke down on the lap to the grid, so I never actually got to see him,” Piastri said.
“(It will be) pretty special to have someone holding my flag this time.”
The 21-year-old Piastri, who replaced popular compatriot Daniel Ricciardo at McLaren for the 2023 season, grew up a 15-minute drive from the circuit but has never driven a race around it.
Piastri is seeking to break a curse for Australian drivers in their home race, with none of his compatriots posting a podium finish since the inception of the Australian Grand Prix in 1985.
