Oscar Piastri makes F1 'privilege' claim in surprising McLaren season verdict

McLaren rookie Oscar Piastri will make his F1 debut in 2023. — Photo: © LAT Images

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Piastri makes F1 'privilege' claim in surprising McLaren season verdict

The young Australian enjoyed a superb debut season with McLaren

Matthew Hobkinson Lead Editor

F1 Editor & Journalist

Monday 4 December 2023 03:57

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Oscar Piastri has admitted his surprise at how he has been able to compete at the very front of the grid during his first year in Formula 1, something that he labelled as a 'privilege'.

The 22-year-old proved himself to be an instrumental part of McLaren's resurgence during the 2023 season, helping the team to a fourth-placed finish in the constructors' standings.

The personal highlight for Piastri will no doubt be standing on the very top step after the sprint race in Qatar, following up with a podium finish in the feature race itself.

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This was a dramatic improvement from the team's early season form that saw them languishing at the back of the pack.

Oscar Piastri celebrates on the podium alongside Max Verstappen and Lando Norris after the Qatar Grand Prix

The 22-year-old had plenty to smile about after a superb rookie F1 season

And the young Australian has now admitted that the highs and lows of the season were more of a shock than he was expecting.

Piastri: McLaren 2023 season a privilege

"It's definitely been a bigger rollercoaster than I expected," he said. "I knew there would be ups and downs, maybe not as down at the start or as up at the end.

"But I've really learned a lot. I feel like I've had basically every situation you could have, apart from a championship fight.

"So it's been a good year in terms of learning, I think as a team, where we're learning how to compete at the front again, which is exciting.

McLaren roared back into life with an impressive set of upgrades during the 2023 season

"It's not a position we've been in for 10 years. So nice to be having these conversations again, going through these scenarios.

"And for me, it's really a privilege to be fighting at the front so early in my career. There are people that go their whole F1 career that don't have the opportunity that I've had in 22 races.

"So I'm very, very grateful for that. And I'm looking forward to plenty more years to come where hopefully we can do that more often."

Max Verstappen McLaren Lando Norris Oscar Piastri