Oscar Piastri has now revealed that driving a vintage McLaren Formula 1 car ‘scared’ the Australian after driving it up the hill at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in 2023.
Driving vintage Formula 1 cars up the iconic hill at Goodwood is a special occasion for many racers. But Piastri left the West Sussex venue feeling relieved that F1 has moved a long way in recent years. He could not shake his initial fears of how limited the safety standards were.
Piastri made the 23-year-old’s debut in Formula 1 with McLaren last season and quickly put the pinnacle of motorsport on notice. The Melbourne native utilised his Woking team’s slow start to get used to modern F1 machinery before finishing the campaign as a record breaker.
Oscar Piastri admits driving James Hunt’s McLaren M26 ‘scared’ him at Goodwood
Not since Lewis Hamilton registered the feat in 2007, also with McLaren, had a rookie stood on multiple Grand Prix podiums before Piastri earned two last year. He reached the rostrum at the Japanese GP in P3 and the Qatar GP in P2, where Piastri even won the Sprint, as well.
Piastri narrowly missed out on taking his debut podium at the 2023 British GP, too, after the safety car period gifted Hamilton a cheap pit stop. But is was driving another British F1 icon and McLaren legend’s car at Goodwood that left Piastri thankful for F1’s modern standards.
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McLaren took Piastri to the Festival of Speed in his rookie F1 campaign and sent him up the hill in James Hunt’s M26. The 1976 Formula 1 champion drove the car during the 1977 and 1978 campaigns to limited success. But where McLaren’s car put Piastri’s legs ‘scared’ him.
Piastri told the BBC’s Tailenders podcast: “I drove that car and I am so happy that I was born when I was because that car scared the [poo] out me.
“Back then, the rules were quite different, so you can see how far forward the cockpit is. So, your legs actually go in front of the wheels.
“So, if you crash, your legs were basically the crash structure. That was my first concern. However, when I jumped in the car I went to shuffle myself down and put my feet where the pedals are and I had to shuffle my butt down.”
James Hunt won three Grand Prix in the McLaren that ‘scared’ Oscar Piastri
McLaren introduced the M26 that Piastri drove at Goodwood midway through the 1977 F1 season. It also remained in use until the early stages of the 1979 season but only won three Grand Prix from 31 races. Hunt won the 1977 British GP, United States GP and Japanese GP.
Piastri is yet to win a Grand Prix to add to his Sprint victory at the Qatar GP in 2023. He has started the 2024 season with one podium in nine rounds at the Monaco GP. Piastri pushed Charles Leclerc of Ferrari to seal the victory in Monte Carlo before settling for second place.
The post ‘My first concern’: Oscar Piastri admits car ‘scared’ McLaren F1 star after worrying drive appeared first on F1 Oversteer.