F1 News: Oscar Piastri Celebrates First Podium In Rookie Season At Japanese GP
Rookie driver Oscar Piastri secured his maiden podium finish at the Japanese Grand Prix. The young Australian driver reflected on the milestone moment with immense gratitude and determination.
Key Takeaways:
- Oscar Piastri marked a significant achievement by clinching his first podium finish during his debut season in Formula 1.
- The rookie driver acknowledged the rare opportunity presented to him and expressed his immense gratitude towards his team.
- Piastri navigated some challenging moments during the race, particularly when overtaking George Russell, but remained optimistic about achieving more podium finishes in the future.
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In his post-race interview with 1996 F1 champion Damon Hill, Piastri shared:
"It was pretty special, definitely. I will remember this for a very, very long time, so I can't thank the team enough for giving me this opportunity."
Indeed, securing a podium in one's rookie season is no small feat.
"You know, there's not many people in the world that get this opportunity in their whole life and I've managed to have it in my first season so thank you very much. It wasn't my best race ever but it was enough to get a trophy at the end. So, super happy."
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But every race has its challenges, and for Piastri, it was the move on Mercedes driver George Russell. When quizzed about moments that might have given him pause, he divulged:
"Yeah, the move on George [Russell]. I knew I had to try and get past otherwise I was gonna get stuck for a while. So yeah, that one was a bit close, but no, that pays off.
"They [Mercedes] were very strong and I think in the second half of the race, they got more into a groove or into a rhythm and the pace was a bit better. So yeah, very, very happy and excited to try and get some more [podiums]."
