Aussie F1 driver Oscar Piastri lives life in the fast lane as one of best drivers in the world but there’s one thing that makes him feel uneasy when he comes home to drive in Melbourne.
Piastri mania has hit his home town ahead of this weekend’s Melbourne GP.
And he revealed that he’s more comfortable going 350km/h around Albert Park than he is making one manoeuvre that’s only allowed Melbourne’s streets.
‘I try to avoid the city and avoid the hook turns because they still make me a bit anxious,’ he said.
‘But no, I drive myself around when I’m home.’
A hook turn occurs when drivers turn right from specific CBD intersections, marked with ‘Right Turn from Left Only’ signs. They must move to the far-left lane, stop, and wait for the perpendicular traffic lights to turn green before turning.
Oscar Piastri is on a mission to become Australia’s first F1 world champion in 46 years
The hook turns in Melbourne make Piastri nervous and he tries to avoid them
About 40 intersections in the Melbourne’s CBD force drivers to use hook turns, which aren’t found anywhere else in Australia
The method keeps the centre lanes clear for trams and there are more than 40 hook turn intersections in the Melbourne CBD.
It is considered safer because it reduces dangerous right turns across oncoming traffic.
Piastri is trying to become the first Aussie of the modern era to win the Australian Grand Prix.
The McLaren driver is also on a mission in 2026 to become Australia’s first world champion in 46 years.
Piastri will attempt to avenge last year’s late-season fade-out that saw his McLaren teammate Lando Norris take the title.
This year will be a learning curve for all drivers, following F1’s wide-sweeping regulation changes.
Cars will be 30kg lighter through changes to power units, tyres, aerodynamics and fuel, with Lewis Hamilton labelling the alterations ‘ridiculously complex’.
Change, traditionally, has been good for Piastri.
Piastri and girlfriend Lily Zneimer
Piastri has been hugely popular in his hometown of Melbourne ahead of this week’s Grand Prix
He won the 2020 Formula 3 Championship in his first year in the cars and backed it up by being Formula 2 champion the following year.
Even when he arrived at Ricky Flynn Motorsport in 2016 with limited karting experience in Europe, a young Piastri adapted fast enough to take podiums and finish sixth overall.
‘That was unheard of,’ Flynn, who has now had five Formula 1 drivers pass through his stable, said.
‘It was a whole new ball game for him. And the competition is obviously the best in the world.
‘Not only did he have to learn the cars, he had to learn all the circuits and everything else.
‘He had a huge, huge learning curve to go through from everything, because obviously he was not at home, not with his parents. And he did it.’
Flynn spent a lot of time with Piastri that season.
The teenager moved in, living 10 minutes away in Hertford, just north of London, and often drove with him to races.
Piastri will drive for McLaren again in 2026
‘Nothing particularly fazed him or was a problem,’ Flynn said. ‘He settled in pretty quick in both England and then obviously the team.
‘He picked up sticks to come over to the world’s highest category. It was a big ask, but he just got on with it.’
Piastri’s unflappable approach has been his trademark since his entry to Formula 1 in 2023.
The only time it has shown signs of cracking was late last year, when a horror weekend in Azerbaijan started a run of eight races where he surrendered a sizeable championship lead and ultimately lost out to Norris.
Flynn watched the end of last year as nervously as anyone. Beyond Piastri, Norris spent three years at Flynn’s team and took the karting junior world title in 2014.
But the veteran karting mentor has no doubt over Piastri’s ability to rebound in 2026.
‘He’s got to be stronger after that, because obviously every experience you learn from and get better and stronger,’ Flynn said.
‘I’m sure he’s gutted he didn’t win it, after leading the points. But I don’t think it’ll faze him in that he’ll crumble in any way.
‘He’ll take all the positives from it and come back even stronger than he was, because that’s the character he is.’
