Oscar Piastri, the 24-year-old Melbourne-born driver and current world championship leader, revealed that he was surprised to receive a message from Sebastian Vettel shortly after securing his first Formula 1 win. He shared this unexpected interaction during a recent feature on the McLaren YouTube channel, highlighting how Vettel offered insights from his own experiences of claiming a debut race triumph.
Details of Piastri’s Breakthrough Victory at the Hungarian Grand Prix
Piastri made history as the fifth Australian to win a world championship Formula 1 race when he triumphed at the 2024 Hungarian Grand Prix. In a tightly contested McLaren one-two finish, he outpaced his teammate Lando Norris. Piastri surged ahead at the first turn, briefly lost his lead due to race strategy, but was reinstated to first place following team orders with five laps remaining, a decision that frustrated Norris but ultimately secured Piastri’s breakthrough win.
Emotional Impact and Personal Significance of the First Win
Reflecting on the moment, Piastri admitted that the victory was a mixture of pride and relief after years of hard work and sacrifice. He described the day of the win as overwhelming, with the full weight of the achievement only registering the following morning when he woke as an official Formula 1 race winner. The post-race celebrations, interviews, and social media coverage gradually made the reality of the triumph hit home.
Strong Australian Support Felt During the Event
The win resonated strongly with Australian fans both on-site in Budapest and back home. Piastri recalled the presence of many Australian flags around the podium area and the pride of hearing the Australian anthem played. He noted that while the race finished early morning Australian time, die-hard fans and his family stayed awake to celebrate. For the wider public, the victory news hitting social feeds the next day created a second wave of excitement.
Memorabilia and Modest Celebrations Marking the Historic Weekend
While the official trophy remains with McLaren, Piastri keeps a replica at home alongside personal mementos from the weekend, including a five euro note given to him early in the race weekend and a helmet he no longer uses. Despite the significance of the win, his celebrations were relatively subdued by Formula 1 standards, partly due to post-race travel delays that extended his return home until 5 a.m. The quiet return included some downtime playing Monopoly with fellow drivers such as Lando Norris, Alex Albon, and Jack Doohan.
Lessons and Progress Highlighted by the Win
Piastri said the most important takeaway was not only achieving a lifelong dream but also seeing his own development since racing in Hungary the previous year. He expressed pride in the improvement he made between seasons, emphasizing that winning his first F1 race was a milestone he had pursued since childhood and a weekend he would always remember.
Looking Ahead to Returning as Championship Leader in Hungary
Returning to the Hungarian circuit with seven additional wins, six of which came in the current season, Piastri leads the world championship by 16 points over teammate Lando Norris. He expressed enthusiasm about revisiting the venue where he secured his first victory but emphasized his focus on competing for another win this weekend and throughout the season. His mindset remains fixed on replicating the success as the on-track action unfolds.
Verbatim Quotes from Oscar Piastri
“That was a bit unexpected because I had not really spoken or met Seb before that,”
—Oscar Piastri
“There wasn’t anyone massively unexpected but from a lot of other drivers, which was really nice.”
“Afterwards there was a sense of pride, but also a sense of relief,”
—Oscar Piastri
“Obviously a lot of hard work and sacrifice in some ways to get to that point, so that was really really special.”
“I think the morning after the first time I stood on top of an F1 podium was a pretty cool moment where I woke up and could go ‘I’m an F1 winner now’,”
—Oscar Piastri
“So it kind of sunk in a bit more as time went on.”
“It’s always nice hearing the Australian anthem and I feel like there’s at least a few Aussies pretty much everywhere we go which is always nice,”
—Oscar Piastri
“That was nice that I got to relive it twice a little bit.”
“For those that remember, I got given a five euro note on, I think, on the Thursday or the Friday of the weekend, which was quite a cool moment,”
—Oscar Piastri
“I never used that helmet again. So I have the helmet from that race weekend as it finished the race, the replica trophy and the five euro note.”
“I didn’t have a very exciting celebration,”
—Oscar Piastri
“I did play Monopoly… so that was exciting!”
“I think probably the biggest thing from that weekend was firstly, ticking off a dream of mine and a goal of trying to win a Formula 1 race, but also, I guess away from that, just that it was a really good weekend,”
—Oscar Piastri
“Especially when I compare it back to Hungary in 2023. I was also very proud of the fact that the improvement that I’d made from year to year.”
“So that’s kind of one of the big things I took from that weekend, and just ticking off a dream that I’d had since a kid.”
“It’s going to be cool going back to the scene of my first F1 win,”
—Oscar Piastri
“But I’m sure once I’m there, I’m going to be very much focused on how I can try and win again, as you try and do every weekend.”
“Once the on track action starts, it’s going to be about how we can try and repeat that result.”
