All eyes on Piastri as local hero eyes Australia breakthrough
MELBOURNE : Orange can be a brave choice in fashion but the colour will be much in vogue at Albert Park this week as McLaren's Oscar Piastri bids for a breakthrough win at his home Australian Grand Prix.
No Australian driver has claimed a spot on the podium, let alone won the race since it joined Formula One's global calendar in 1985, but domestic fans have high hopes Piastri will end the drought in his papaya-coloured car.
Fourth at Albert Park last year and also fourth in the overall drivers' championship won by Red Bull's Max Verstappen, Piastri is eyeing top spot in both this year, his third season with McLaren.
"I do think that I can become world champion this year," Piastri said at the first running of McLaren's new MCL39 car last month.
Though teammate Lando Norris is the bookmakers' favourite to win the drivers' title, Piastri has returned to his hometown of Melbourne with a recent contract extension and the confidence earned from two race wins and eight podiums last season.
The 23-year-old freshened up for the new season with a long summer break in Australia before enjoying winter testing in Bahrain where he raved about his car's performance.
Former fan favourite Daniel Ricciardo is no longer in F1 following his dismal 2024 season with RB, now known as Racing Bulls.
But home crowds will be treated to two Australian drivers on the grid.
Alpine racer Jack Doohan is assured of a following at Albert Park as the son of motorcycling great Mick Doohan, who won five consecutive 500 cc world championships in the 1990s.
Having two home drivers at the Grand Prix is a boost for motor sport in Australia, where officials report a spike in participation at junior levels.
"There's more engagement and participation flowing through the sport when people can see Australian drivers at the top level, particularly with Formula One's popularity today," Motorsport Australia CEO Sunil Vohra told Reuters.
"Our junior licences at our youngest level for competitors are up 14 per cent year-on-year.
"We're certainly talking about huge success of growth in membership, growth in national championships across all the different categories of karting."
The flow-through effects may go to another level if Piastri can win on Sunday at Albert Park, where record crowds turned up to see his podium near-miss last year.
Organisers have reinstituted the Grand Prix's post-race "track walk" for fans, after having banned spectators from the circuit last year following a dangerous crowd invasion in the 2023 race.
"If (Piastri) can (win) it, thank God we've got the track-walk post-race because I think they will fill it," Australian Grand Prix chief executive Travis Auld said on Wednesday.
"He's a Melbourne boy and there's huge hype around Oscar for round one - and it won't worry Oscar."
