Oscar Piastri Names Olympic Gold Medalist as His Icon

Oscar Piastri reveals how he is motivated to perform better in Formula 1 after seeing the commitment of a particular Olympics Swimming Legend.

Oscar Piastri Names Olympic Gold Medalist as His Icon

Oscar Piastri (via Getty), Michael Phelps (via Swimming World)

Oscar Piastri has emerged as the favorite for winning the F1 drivers’ title this season, courtesy of McLaren’s superior performance. The Aussie might soon etch his name amongst some of the legends of the sport. Now, as Piastri sets his eyes on the championship, he has revealed how a legendary Olympic Gold medalist helps him always strive for more success in the pinnacle of motorsport.

Oscar Piastri is known for his no-nonsense and nonchalant attitude while racing on the racetrack. This demeanor isn’t entirely unique, as Piastri’s role model, the legendary swimmer Michael Phelps, shares a similar mindset. The Australian reveals that he looks up to the 23-time Olympic gold medalist in more ways than one, channeling that inspiration into his performances in Formula 1.

Piastri reminisced about his childhood days when he watched Michael Phelps emerge victorious in all his attempts during the Olympics. The Australian highlighted that Phelps won a gold medal in every event that he competed with no room for error. This level of dedication left a lasting impression on the 24-year-old, who took those lessons to heart and applied them to his journey in Formula 1.

I still remember watching the Olympics where he won eight gold medals, He won a gold medal in every event he competed in. For me, it’s how dedicated he was.

Oscar Piastri told McLaren

Apart from his performances, Michael Phelps remained steadfast in his efforts as he used to swim even between the breaks in his competitions. Oscar Piastri felt extremely motivated by this ‘next-level’ commitment from the American athlete. Piastri will also try his best to achieve similar results in his sport with the same level of dedication as Phelps.

I saw an interview where he said he went swimming every single day between one Olympics to the next. That’s him being in a pool every day for four years – that’s commitment if nothing else.

Oscar Piastri added

Oscar Piastri reveals his second ‘mainstream icon pick’

Oscar Piastri isn’t motivated by only Michael Phelps, as there are plenty of legendary athletes in the world whose achievements remain a motivating factor for those looking up to them. While Phelps remains Piastri’s primary pick, he acknowledged that he was similarly motivated by the NBA legend Michael Jordan as well.

Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri (via F1)
Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri (via F1)

Piastri reckoned that his pick in Michael Jordan was along the same lines as picking Phelps for being his Icon. The Australian accepted that his choice was very mainstream but stood strong by it. Jordan’s work ethic and being unstoppable in his performances in Basketball helped him cement his name as one of the greatest athletes in the world.

I think it’s along the same lines as Michael Jordan, in terms of his commitment to it, I think this is a very mainstream pick, but for a reason. The work ethic that he had, and his mentality of letting nothing stop him in pursuit of trying to be the best in his sport.

Oscar Piastri noted

While Piastri hasn’t joined the long list of sporting legends yet, the Australian has great promise to make it into the list in a couple of years. If the 24-year-old keeps up with such performances, he can easily achieve multiple coveted drivers’ titles. For now, the F1 championship leader will have to focus on keeping his teammate at bay and solidifying his lead in the title standings.

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