Do we like Oscar Piastri?
Our score: 7 out of 10. No harmful words or company found and a good record of giving back, but he rarely says much on wider causes, so the record is quiet rather than loud.
Oscar Piastri grew up in Melbourne and started karting at ten at a club in Clayton South. He then won everything on the way up: the Formula Renault Eurocup in 2019, the F3 title in 2020 and F2 in 2021. That kind of run is rare, and it's how a kid from the suburbs ended up in a McLaren.
The big early drama was a contract stoush. Alpine had him in their academy, but he ended up at McLaren for 2023 after a dispute that the FIA's Contract Recognition Board settled in McLaren's favour. He called the saga publicly frustrating, but kept his head down and let his driving do the talking. Hardly a scandal on his part.
The bigger story was 2025. He won seven grands prix and led the championship for much of the year, then wobbled after the summer break and finished third. Fans, especially back home, claimed McLaren was favouring Norris, and it even got a run in the Australian Parliament. Piastri's response was to say there were no bad intentions and no sabotage, while admitting the team could have done better.
On the harm check, the cupboard is bare, in a good way. No nasty posts, no conspiracy rabbit holes, no dodgy company turned up in what I read. The flip side is he's a quiet one: in 2023 he said drivers have a responsibility to speak out, but in a constructive way, and then said he trusted the FIA on Saudi Arabia. That's not a mark against him, but it's not a Hamilton-style crusade either.
The recent bit is a rougher patch. Piastri has slumped since the 2025 summer break, and by September he was seventh and well behind Norris. Even then, the noise was other people's: a former driver had to apologise to McLaren's boss after misreading his comments about Piastri on air. Nobody's questioning his character, just his form.
Put together, he's a bloke you can cheer for without a second thought. He's no activist, and the record on LGBTQ+ and climate causes is simply thin, so he sits at a solid pass rather than a gold star. But no hidden skeletons, a proper charity gig and a good attitude under pressure is a pretty good look.