Oscar Piastri switches gear from F1 as England fumbles 2nd Test
Oscar Piastri’s F1 championship dreams did not come true this year – but the Australian has found a silver lining heading into 2026 that is perfectly timed for his return home for Christmas
READING LEVEL: GREEN
Despite his obvious disappointment after missing out on the world championship title, Australian Formula One star Oscar Piastri found a silver lining*, vowing to bounce back stronger than ever next year.
Preparing for the biggest race of his career at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the huge cricket fan took time out to watch Australia clinch the second Ashes Test by eight wickets at the Gabba before hopping in his car at the Yas Marina circuit.
Piastri said later he was in a bind because he had secretly hoped the English would put up more of a fight, because he was coming home to Melbourne for Christmas and planned to attend the fourth Test at the MCG.
“It was nice that the boys could wrap it up before the race started,” Piastri said.
“Hopefully, I will get to some cricket — ideally Boxing Day, given it’s in Melbourne. There’s part of me that kind of wants the series to still be alive by that point, and part of me that really doesn’t.
“I’ll take whatever we can get but it’s been enjoyable to watch for the last couple of weeks.”
Like all the drivers, Piastri was looking forward to a break after completing an intense season that began at Melbourne’s Albert Park in March.
With just 13 weeks to go before the 2026 F1 season roars into action in his hometown, he’s planning to come home and enjoy some simpler pleasures that have nothing to do with race cars.
“It’s nice having another summer break,” he said. “I’m going back to Australia for a little bit, see my family and friends, give my annual hellos and goodbyes.
“I’m looking forward to some time away from racing, to be honest. It’s been a long, demanding season.
“As enjoyable as driving the fastest cars in the world is, a break now and again is always a nice thing.
“I’m just looking forward to not thinking about race cars and spending time with people around me. Obviously, the new season is not far away, so it’s going to be important to enjoy that time off and then come back refreshed with the new challenges for next year.”
PIASTRI LOOKS AHEAD TO NEXT F1 SEASON
After leading the world championship by 34 points two-thirds of the way through the season, the 24-year-old’s numbers in 2025 were off the charts. Piastri won seven Grand Prix, made the podium 16 times, set six pole positions* and finished with 410 points – all records for an Australian F1 driver.
He also led the championship for 15 rounds and impressively maintained his composure* and concentration amid speculation* his McLaren team was favouring his teammate Norris.
Alas, Piastri did not win the title, eventually finishing third in the standings behind his McLaren teammate Lando Norris and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.
Part of Piastri’s “one that got away” championship can be traced back to nothing more than bad luck but other tough lessons came from mistakes he made along the way, which he was already wise and mature enough to recognise.
“I definitely can be very proud of the season I’ve had. When I look at this season compared to my first two years in F1, this year has been head and shoulders above the first two,” Piastri said.
“Ultimately, while the end result is not quite what I wanted, there’s a lot of optimism* and a lot of strength that I’ve gained from proving to myself what I can achieve through this season.
“Those are the kinds of things that are not necessarily tied to results. So I think for me, I can definitely take that forward into the future.
“It’s only my third attempt at this in F1. Hopefully, I’ve got plenty more to go, but there are definitely lessons from this year that will only make me stronger.”
POLL
GLOSSARY
- silver lining: something positive coming from a difficult or unpleasant situation
- pole position: the leading or best possible position from which to start a race
- composure: state of being calm, confident and in control
- speculation: ideas, theories and guesses about a situation without having all the information
EXTRA READING
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Piastri goes viral after Miami F1
Youngest Aussie to win Grand Prix
QUICK QUIZ
- Who won the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix?
- Who came second in the final race of the F1 season?
- Which driver won his first world championship title even though he did not win the race?
- How many Grand Prix races did Oscar Piastri win in 2025?
- How many times did he achieve a podium finish this year?
LISTEN TO THIS STORY
CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Piastri cartoon
Sketch a cartoon style picture summing up Oscar Piastri’s 2025 racing season with the statistics listed in the Kids News article.
Use some of the positives he’s taken out of the season to help you shape your cartoon.
Share your drawing with your classmates.
Time: allow 20 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: Visual Arts, Health and Physical Education, Personal and Social, Critical and Creative Thinking
2. Extension
Make a list of things you think Oscar Piastri should do in his 13 weeks break before returning to another gruelling F1 racing season to help him relax and refresh for next season.
Time: allow 10 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Health and Physical Education, Personal and Social, Critical and Creative Thinking
VCOP ACTIVITY
My sporting hero
Write a letter to one of the your favourite sportspeople. Explain to them how proud you are of them, why they are a sporting hero to you, and that you have noticed them. Your letter can be anonymous or you can personally sign it off.
Remember when writing a letter:
Start with a greeting: Dear Sir,
Then on a new line, write the body of the letter.
Finish with a closing: Kind regards,
And finally, sign the letter.
Try to include detail and emotion in the letter to connect with your target audience: your sporting hero.