Oscar Piastri makes F1 history as youngest Australian to win

And the Oscar goes to … the top step on the podium*.

Australia’s Formula One young gun Oscar Piastri has just won his first Grand Prix* in Hungary.

It was a wild finish involving his McLaren teammate Lando Norris.

Tipped as a future world champion, Piastri fully deserved* his maiden* victory but needed Norris to let him pass in the closing laps* after the Briton was given the lead when he pitted* first, despite being in second place.

With fresh tyres, Norris found himself in front after Piastri pitted on the next lap.

Though Norris argued he should stay in the lead, he eventually relented* after team bosses told him to let Piastri pass.

“The way to win a championship is with the team,” McLaren engineer Will Joseph said.

“You’re gonna need Oscar and you’re going to need the team.”

Piastri was thrilled after taking the chequered flag*.

“Very, very special. A lot of Australian flags, actually, which was very cool to see,” he said.

“ Yeah, it was an incredible moment. I mean, it’s always special when you get to stand on an F1 podium, but it’s a little bit nicer when you’re at the top of it, so very happy.

“An incredible moment that I’ve been dreaming of for a very long time. I said my first dream in my career was reaching F1. The second one is winning a race.

“I’m very, very happy and proud and not just of myself, but everybody that’s helped me get to this position. You know, going back to my family, firstly, of course. You know, it took a lot of big decisions at a young age to chase the F1 dream. It’s very difficult to become an F1 driver by staying in Australia, so it meant some big decisions early in life.”

After being reluctant* to let Piastri pass during the closing laps, Norris graciously* congratulated his young teammate after the presentation*, saying he deserved the win.

“It was tough, it would be tough for anyone leading a race to give it up. I was put in the position, they made me box for and gave me the chance to lead the race and pull away comfortably,” Norris said.

“It was fair to give back, I don’t want to be the guy who comes across unfair, Oscar has helped me in many races. He drove a better race than I did, he got a better start, he deserves it and it’s the right thing to do.”

Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton finished third, marking his 200th F1 podium.

“Congratulations to Oscar who has done a fantastic job ever since he got here to be honest,” Hamilton said. “He’s been so consistent* and it was only a matter of time before he got a win.

“I just think about these two and how young these guys are. They were in nappies when I started.”

Max Verstappen finished fifth in his Red Bull after contact with Hamilton and being hauled before the stewards*.

The Dutchman was in a foul mood, arguing with his team on the radio.

“I don’t know why people think that you can’t be vocal on a radio, this is a sport and if some people don’t like that then stay home,” he said.

Verstappen leads the championship standings with 265 points after 13 of this season’s 24 rounds.

Norris is second with 189 points, and Piastri is fifth with 149. McLaren has overtaken Ferrari for second place in the constructor’s championship* behind Red Bull. Daniel Ricciardo finished 12th.

“You’ve got to be selfish* in this sport at times. You’ve got to think of yourself. That’s priority number one, is think of yourself,” Norris said.

“I’m also a team player, so my mind was going pretty crazy at the time. I know what we’ve done in the past between Oscar and myself. He’s helped me plenty of times.

“There’s just a difference of simply just deserving to win a race and not deserving to win. I didn’t deserve to win the race today. Simple as that. So the fact I was in that position was incorrect. I think that was a mistake from us as a team. I shouldn’t have been in this position.”

Piastri became just the fifth Australian to win a Grand Prix – joining Jack Brabham, Alan Jones, Mark Webber and Daniel Ricciardo. At 23, he’s the youngest Aussie winner and will be a huge attraction* at Melbourne next year.

He reached the top step on the podium in his second season and his 34th race start after three second-place finishes and a third, plus a victory in one of the sprints*.

POLL

GLOSSARY

• podium: the platform where winners stand during the award ceremony Grand Prix: a major car race
• deserved: earned because of hard work or good performance
• maiden: first ever
• laps: one complete trip around a racetrack
• pitted: stopped in a designated area during a race to get new tires or repairs
• relented: agreed to something after refusing
• chequered flag: a flag used to indicate the end of a race
• reluctant: not wanting to do something
• graciously: kindly and politely
• presentation: the ceremony where awards are given
• consistent: always performing well
• stewards: officials who make sure the rules are followed in a race
• constructor’s championship: a competition for car manufacturers in Formula One
• selfish: thinking only about yourself
• attraction: something that draws people’s attention
• sprint: a short race within a race weekend

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QUICK QUIZ

1. Who just won their first Grand Prix in Hungary?
2. What did Lando Norris do to help Oscar Piastri win the race?
3. How did Oscar Piastri feel after winning his first Grand Prix?
4. Who finished third in the race and what milestone did they reach?
5. What position is Oscar Piastri in the championship standings after this race?

LISTEN TO THIS STORY

CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Working as a team
This sporting story demonstrates what it is to be a part of a team, even in Formula One driving, when doing the right thing by the team is more important than a victory for yourself.

What might have happened to Lando Norris, if he had disobeyed team orders and not let Oscar Piastri back into his rightful position to win this race?

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A great quote from this story is, “You’re going to need Oscar, and you’re going to need the team”. What does this mean in the context of this race and Lando Norris’ career?

Time: allow 15 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Health and Physical Education, Personal and Social, Critical and Creative Thinking

2. Extension
A 23-year-old winning a Formula One Grand Prix is a big deal in an international sport. Why do you think not many Australians have been as successful in Formula One driving as opposed to other sports?

What sacrifices would Oscar’s family have made to help him achieve his dreams?

Time: allow 10 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Health and Physical Education, Personal and Social, Critical and Creative Thinking

VCOP ACTIVITY
Exercise the body and the mind
Exercise is not only important for the body, but it’s a lot of fun as well. Let’s bring more exercise into classroom learning by creating a VCOP PE game.

You can add a VCOP challenge to pretty much any game, and it’s a great way to encourage the teacher to let the class play more games.

Here is an example to get you started, then you create one of your own.

VCOP dodgeball
The normal rules of dodgeball apply. Two teams throw soft balls at each other and if you get hit, you have to sit out. The team who knocks out all the players on the other team, wins.

VCOP challenge: when you get eliminated, collect a mini-whiteboard and a basic clause from the sidelines. Up-level the sentence (make it better) by adding VCOP. When you show the teacher your completed sentence, you can return to the game.

Play for a set amount of time and the team with the most players left on the court wins.

Support: use the “Up-Level It” card set – players have to complete one card from the set instead of completing all VCOP challenges.

What can you come up with?