Oscar Piastri considers working with Fernando Alonso an ‘eye-opening experience’

Oscar Piastri and Fernando Alonso worked together when Piastri served as Alpine's reserve driver in 2022, and both left the team at the end of the season.

Oscar Piastri considers working with Fernando Alonso an ‘eye-opening experience’

Oscar Piastri (L) and Fernando Alonso (R)

Over the span of a few days, Alpine were ‘rejected’ by two great talents, from very different generations. First, it was Fernando Alonso, who went to Aston Martin, replacing Sebastian Vettel. They announced Oscar Piastri as his replacement. The Australian then came out with a statement, where he accused Alpine of announcing the ‘promotion’ without his agreement. He outright turned down the seat. As it came out later, it was because he had an agreement with McLaren.

Alonso hadn’t been feeling the love at Alpine. Piastri lost his trust in the team and was not keen on the team’s plan for him. They wanted to loan him out to Williams So he decided to seek other avenues. The matter went to the CRB, where the McLaren contract was deemed the only valid one. Now, he’s in a much better position for the year at a team that is likely to be a solid midfield/upper midfield contender. Both drivers are in all likelihood much happier with their current situations.

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The two also have something else binding them: Piastri will be the first full-time F1 driver born in 2001, the year that Alonso made his debut with Minardi. In fact, the Australian was born almost exactly a month after Alonso drove his first race at the Australian GP. The two obviously worked together at Alpine, when Piastri was reserve driver, and the 21-year-old called it an ‘eye-opening experience’.

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As per Motorsport Week, when asked if he looked up to any driver on the F1 grid, Piastri replied: “I think for me there’s not really like one specific driver. I think working alongside Fernando for part of last year was an eye-opening experience. And obviously he was someone that I watched growing up.”

Read More: Oscar Piastri is hopeful to live up to expectations in his F1 debut season with “no extra pressure”

Oscar Piastri looking forward to racing Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton

Oscar Piastri
Oscar Piastri

Apart from Fernando Alonso, Oscar Piastri also considers Lewis Hamilton to be a ‘childhood hero’. Now, of course, he’ll be racing both. Perhaps he won’t yet race Hamilton directly. But if the cars’ performance is similar, then it will be a great opportunity for him to prove his mettle. Depending on how much of a step forward Aston Martin can take, Piastri will be up against Alonso as well. He does admit that going up against ‘guys like that’ is going to be ‘pretty special’.

The Australian said: “I think Lewis is also another one. I’ve watched his success throughout my junior career. It’s going to be pretty special to go up against guys like that.  But, I think as a racing driver, it’s gonna be, once the helmet goes on, everyone else’s just another driver. But definitely it’s going to be pretty cool to race against some of these childhood heroes.”

Racing Alonso and Hamilton is all good and well, but the first man Piastri will be up against is his teammate, Lando Norris. The two form the youngest driver lineup on the grid. Before measuring himself against multiple-time world champion veterans, he will have to match up to his 23-year-old teammate with no wins. It’s definitely a very talented and exciting lineup, so it’ll be interesting to see how it goes between them in 2023 and beyond.

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