Piastri looks back on clash with Alpine: 'I've done my talking on track'

Oscar Piastri is one of this year's rookies. The Australian racing talent is driving for McLaren's team, which he himself speaks highly of. "We've got a lot of exciting things in the works. We've obviously got our new wind tunnel, the new sim, and we've got some new hires," says Piastri. Still, the McLaren's speed is disappointing for now. "Everyone wants to have the quickest car on the grid. But for me, I've been focusing very much on my personal development and just, you know, making sure I extract the most out of myself."

Pleased with Norris

Having Lando Norris as a teammate helps with that. "Having him as a reference point is quite useful," thinks the rookie, who is not unhappy with his performance. "I am happy with where I stand," said Piastri. "I think over one lap it's been quite close, which has been nice. I think throughout the race distances, it's always been a little bit tricky to compare because we've always had stuff going wrong," the Australian says honestly. "I'm in a good spot, and I keep learning every weekend."

Clash with Alpine

His Formula 1 career got off to a messy start. Alpine announced Piastri as Fernando Alonso's replacement. This was followed a little later by a message from the driver, who announced that he had not signed a contract with the French racing stable. The youngster does not believe it worked against him. "I think once all the facts came out, I was quite comfortable, we were quite comfortable through the whole situation. So I think now I feel like I've done my talking on the track."