'No one knows what to expect': Oscar Piastri has one thing on his mind

Yesterday at 03:00 PM

As the 2025 Formula One season opener descends upon Melbourne, McLaren driver Oscar Piastri has one goal: to hold the illustrious F1 driver's championship trophy.

Fresh off the back of McLaren winning the 2024 F1 constructors' championship after a 26-year drought, Melbourne-born Piastri inked a multi-year extension in March 2025 that will see the 23-year-old driver donning papaya orange beyond 2026.

RELATED: The 16-year-old Melburnian on the road to F1 stardom

Speaking at a press conference ahead of the 2025 F1 season opener in Melbourne, Piastri said the contract extension "was a very natural progression," given the team's success last year.

"I think my two years [with] the team have been pretty incredible, starting from where we were when I joined to being constructors' champions now. It made a lot of sense in my mind to try and continue that and build with the team," Piastri told the media, including Drive.

Despite his running mate, Lando Norris, finishing second in the driver's championship behind four-time champion Max Verstappen in 2024, Piastri wasn’t too far behind in fourth, with the 23-year-old Melburnian stating this new season offers a "clean slate".

"We’re going to the season starting from zero and we’re both obviously going to be trying for the world championship. I’m pretty confident in what I can do and I’m confident in my own ability to try and prevail this year," he said.

When asked if there have been early talks between him and Norris regarding the rules of engagement this upcoming season, Piastri confirmed, "We're very much clear on how we go into the season, and that's racing each other and trying to hopefully fight for wins."

While most F1 fans are familiar with the famous ‘papaya rules’ – a term coined by McLaren chief executive Zak Brown, which simply meant, "Papaya rules are it’s your teammate; race him hard, race him clean, don’t touch", Norris confirmed the team orders are not enforced this upcoming weekend.

"There are no papaya rules; I mean, there's nothing – we're free to race each other," the 25-year-old British driver told media, including Drive, at the Australian Grand Prix press conference.

"Of course we're going to be against each other a lot this season and I hope we are, but I'll say last season was helping one another and always giving each other a good amount of racing room, those kind of things," Norris explained.

While Piastri has grown up around the sport, the 23-year-old said he’s looking to capitalise on the lessons and experience from all his previous races, beyond just Melbourne.

"I think the first time around [in 2023] watching the carnage unfold was a pretty good strategy that year, but last year I think it was a pretty solid race," he said.

"I think it's the same with every race [regardless of location]. There's going to be parts from every single race I've done that you can transfer into your next race. It doesn't have to just be from Melbourne.

"Being here for the third time now, obviously I know the track a lot better, I know some of the things to look out for in terms of the strategy, how to drive the car in the race.

"One thing you can never count out is Melbourne weather, so whether that's going to be relevant at all, we'll see," he added.

Despite Australia having become a fixture in the Grand Prix calendar since 1985, no Aussie driver has won a home race in the motorsport's 40-year history in the country.

While Piastri is joined by Gold Coast-born Alpine driver Jack Doohan, the Melbourne native isn't putting any added pressure on himself to take the illustrious crown.

When asked if this will be the year an Australian driver makes history, Piastri calmly stated, "I know what you want me to say and everyone's headline could be that, but we'll see. No one really knows what to expect."

"Testing went pretty well, but you don't know where everybody sits. We're pretty happy with how our test went, but Melbourne's a completely different track to Bahrain.

"The weather's going to be different to Bahrain and different every hour by the look of things, so it's going to be an interesting weekend for sure and I think hopefully we're expecting to be somewhere up the front," he added.

Still, racing in your home country is a special moment, further compounded when you consider Piastri grew up close to the Albert Park circuit.

"I think it hit pretty hard the first time I was here [in 2023], especially growing up 15 minutes down the road, it was pretty special," he said.

Piastri’s advice to fellow Aussie Doohan – who makes his home race debut this weekend – is simple: "I think the [main] advice would be to enjoy it. You only make your home race debut once."

"As much as you try to say it's another weekend, it's not, it's a bit different. It's pretty special to be able to race at home."

The post 'No one knows what to expect': Oscar Piastri has one thing on his mind appeared first on Drive.