Oscar Piastri is a paradox for F1

Oscar Piastri already has a place in the history of F1 and no one can take it away from him. On July 21st, 2024, by winning the Hungarian Grand Prix, he became the first driver born after 2000 to win a race in F1. A memorable moment for him and for McLaren, the team that surprised the competition and managed to sign him when he seemed destined to take Fernando Alonso's place at Alpine. The Australian has paved the way for the Next Gen of drivers and immediately proved that he can compete at the highest level. He is young, fast, but above all, a winner. However, his success represents a paradox. Piastri is not a star, or at least not to the extent that F1 would like to sell its drivers to the public. We always come back to the same point, which is "Drive to Survive" and how F1, together with Netflix, has invested all its efforts to turn drivers into characters, whether they are heroes or villains, it doesn't matter.

Drama is the keyword. However, Piastri does not fit into this dynamic, not because of a deliberate choice, but simply because his character is not suited for this type of narration. Throughout his career in F1, there have already been moments, both on and off the track, that could have lent themselves to this fictionalized story, but Piastri handled them in a way that the final result coincided with the recognition of his immense composure under pressure. Things could change, perhaps as early as the 2025 season, as he competes for the drivers' championship against his teammate Lando Norris, but at the moment Piastri is a driver who does not seem interested in the media aspect. He doesn't have the style and elegance of Hamilton. He doesn't have the natural inclination for showbiz like Ricciardo. He doesn't have a lord-like aura like Russell. He's not a bully like Verstappen. He's not a Baby Faced Assassin like Antonelli. He doesn't have the beauty of a straight-A student like Leclerc. He doesn't have any of that. If it weren't for his neck, swollen from exercises to resist the force of gravity, he wouldn't even look like an F1 driver.

He has a minimalistic social media presence, mostly posting photos from race weekends. Yet, he fills this void with a predominantly ironic language (both literal and visual). He fearlessly flirts with memes and thanks to this complicity, he is able to easily reach even those who do not closely follow F1. You don't have to work hard to be a fan of Piastri. This can be defined a no bullshit attitude, but without the arrogance that usually comes with such behavior. It's a no-frills lifestyle. He feels comfortable being himself, without a complex haircut or turning his arrival in the paddock into some sort of tunnel fit, remaining faithful to his t-shirt and shorts combo like it's the first day of school. A rare sight in the paddock, which has always been an environment that maintains an image of luxury and wealth. He's an anomaly, a glitch that the F1 system will have to deal with, as race after race, Piastri has managed to bend the only narrative about him: it's no longer a question of whether he will ever become a world champion, but when he will become a world champion.