Cashed up Piastri throws back to $500 teenage win

1 year ago 90

When Oscar Piastri was 13, helium expressed his delight connected Instagram astatine scoring $500 for winning a karting competition.

Less than a decennary later, the racing young weapon from Melbourne is said to beryllium hauling successful $750,000 successful his archetypal twelvemonth arsenic a McLaren Formula 1 driver.

He tin scarcely judge it.

"Nine years agone winning $500 of prizemoney connected inferior karting to present being a nonrecreational racing operator successful Formula 1 — it's beauteous brainsick however rapidly things sneak up connected you," Piastri told 9News successful London, wherever he's spectating Wimbledon pursuing the British Grand Prix.

"It's been a batch of hard work, a batch of dedication, a batch of large decisions to make.

Oscar Piastri successful enactment astatine the British Grand Prix astatine the weekend. (Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)

"Left location erstwhile I was 14 and person lived connected the different broadside of the satellite since then.

"It doesn't travel without giving a fewer things up, but I deliberation getting to Formula 1 successful the archetypal spot made it worthy it."

The 22-year-old enjoyed a promising play astatine the British Grand Prix, qualifying successful 3rd to unafraid a career-best qualifying result, earlier achieving a career-best 4th spot connected Sunday.

He spent the bulk of the contention successful third, but an unluckily timed information car saw him driblet down Lewis Hamilton.

"Now, aft Silverstone I don't privation to get excessively up of myself," Piastri said.

"We mightiness not beryllium capable to repetition that each weekend. But to astatine slightest person that accidental already — it conscionable makes everything truthful worthy it and validates everything you've worked for implicit the past 12 years successful my case."

Piastri 'massively unlucky' to miss F1 podium

The British Grand Prix was besides a occurrence for Piastri's McLaren teammate, with Lando Norris finishing second.

"We bought immoderate upgrades to Lando's car successful Austria and I got to effort them retired successful Silverstone and they worked a treat, clearly," Piastri said.

"To person that accidental to beryllium astatine the beforehand of F1 10 races into my vocation was very, precise special, and yes, qualifying 3rd was very, precise special.

"Fourth was a small spot bitter-sweet erstwhile we were moving 3rd for truthful agelong successful the contention ... but I deliberation wherever we were, which was towards the backmost much often than not, to beryllium disappointed with 4th seems a small spot unfair.

"It was a monolithic effect for the full squad and for myself, arsenic well, to enactment a cleanable play together, and to cognize I tin lucifer Lando and combat the guys astatine the precise beforehand is rather a bully assurance boost."

For a regular dose of the champion of the breaking quality and exclusive contented from Wide World of Sports, subscribe to our newsletter by clicking here!