- Melbourne local is renowned for his humble nature
F1 superstar Oscar Piastri has provided an insight into his lifestyle ahead of the Australian Grand Prix this weekend – and clearly the McLaren driver is determined to stay grounded.
Piastri, 24, doesn’t crave the limelight, with the one-time karting prodigy happy playing video games or watching TV when not competing.
Joining Piastri as he travels the world is his girlfriend Lily Zneimer, with the couple first meeting at boarding school overseas as teenagers.
The Melbourne-born driver credits Zneimer for providing him with life balance and perspective.
‘Spending time with Lily, that’s a big one for me, I can recharge the batteries,’ he told Code Sports.
‘Some people like to chase adrenaline every second whereas I think for myself the adrenaline I get from driving a race car is probably enough.
Oscar Piastri has provided an insight into his lifestyle ahead of the Australian Grand Prix, with the McLaren driver determined to stay grounded (pictured, with girlfriend Lily Zneimer)
Piastri, 24, doesn’t crave the limelight, with the one-time karting prodigy happy playing video games or watching TV (pictured, with a fan this week)
On Friday, Piastri thrilled supporters after delivering a stunning 1:19.729 lap to top the timesheet in a chaotic Australian GP second practice
‘I’m pretty relaxed away from the track.’
Despite Piastri’s laidback nature, the cricket fanatic doesn’t just want to make up the numbers on the F1 grid.
He was bitterly disappointed to finish third in the Drivers’ Championship last year behind teammate Lando Norris and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, and winning at Albert Park on Sunday would send a clear message to his rivals.
The chance to be a world champion – at least in 2026 – begins this weekend, and no doubt Piastri will be primed when it is showtime come Sunday afternoon.
He has been a fan favourite all week in Melbourne, and the level of expectation can be distracting.
‘It comes with the territory,’ Piastri, who has 6.1 million followers on Instagram, said.
‘I didn’t become an F1 driver because I wanted to be in the spotlight, I wanted to drive the fastest cars in the world and try and win races or the championship.
‘There are definitely a lot of positives, there is a lot of attention as well.
‘Sometimes you want to be anonymous, but that’s the small price to pay for getting to do something that is a very special job to do.’
On Friday, Piastri thrilled supporters after delivering a stunning 1:19.729 lap to top the timesheet in a chaotic Australian GP second practice.
The Brighton local – just 15 minutes from the track – set his benchmark with 22 minutes left after switching to soft tyres, finishing two tenths clear of Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli.
Qualifying for the Australian Grand Prix continues on Saturday from 3:10pm AEDT, with the main race starting at 3pm AEDT on Sunday.
