Oscar Piastri inches towards F2 title, set to undertake testing with Alpine F1

By Aydin Payne

Dec 8, 2021

Title in sight: Oscar Piastri is close to securing the Formula Two championship. Photo: PREMA Racing Photo by PREMA Racing

Households across the Goulburn Valley region will tune in with excitement for the final round of the Formula Two championship to witness Australian motorsport wiz Oscar Piastri create history.

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Piastri, who has strong family ties to Shepparton, enters this weekend in a commanding position to become the first Australian to win the F2 title.

The 20-year-old has one hand on the F2 silverware with a lead of 51.5 over his PREMA racing teammate Robert Shwartzman.

If the emerging star can secure the crown this weekend, it will be his third consecutive junior category title.

There is a maximum of 65 points on offer when the F2 paddock heads to Abu Dhabi’s Yas Marina Circuit for round eight.

The extraordinary talent is fresh off another standout outing behind the wheel.

Piastri — who was announced as the 2022 reserve driver for Alpine F1 last month — secured his fourth consecutive pole position and two race wins last weekend at Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

His electrifying lap in qualification saw him become the second driver to record four consecutive poles in F2.

Piastri was able to salute in the second sprint race, followed by another top-step podium finish in an eventful feature race.

His classy feats at Jeddah lifted him to 213.5 points on the championship leaderboard.

Piastri will look to cap off a memorable weekend out on the tarmac when he completes testing with Alpine F1 next Tuesday.

Alpine announced on Tuesday that the talented Aussie would partake in the end-of-season Young Driver Test at Yas Marina Circuit.

Piastri will spend a day lighting up the sectors and nailing the apexes behind the wheel of Alpine’s race-winning A521.

“I’m very excited to drive in the Young Driver Test. It’s almost like my first official day in my new job for next year when I become the team’s reserve driver,” Piastri said.

“Any day in an F1 car is pretty special but to drive the current one with other drivers on track in a somewhat competitive environment is very cool.

“Thanks to the team for this opportunity, I’m certainly looking forward to it and working through a very full testing programme on the day.”

It will allow the young Aussie to rub shoulders with Alpine F1 drivers Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon.

Alpine chief executive Laurent Rossi said Piastri deserved an opportunity to test for the team after a sublime year of racing.

“Oscar has had a fantastic Formula Two season this year, again showing his class, and this Young Driver Test appearance is well earned,” he said.

“This test will be part of Oscar’s ongoing development as he prepares to become the team’s reserve driver for 2022, to aid and assist Fernando and Esteban and our development teams on and off the track.”