Formula One Leader Oscar Piastri Previews Imola Grand Prix Challenge

Oscar Piastri looks to extend his winning streak at the Imola Grand Prix. Read more about his Formula One journey and challenges ahead.

Oscar Piastri, the 24-year-old Australian driver, is on a mission to secure his fourth consecutive win as he gears up for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at Imola. Currently leading the Formula One championship, Piastri has been in top form, and Imola could mark another “home” victory for him, considering his ties to Australia and partial Chinese heritage.

Piastri's season got off to a rocky start in Melbourne, but he bounced back with a thrilling win in Shanghai. Now, he's eyeing another win in Imola, Italy, where his McLaren team has shown promising performance. In the first practice session, Piastri topped the charts with a lap time of 1:16.545 seconds, narrowly beating teammate Lando Norris by 0.032 seconds.

🔥 FASTEST IN FP2 🔥

1. Oscar
2. Lando
3. Pierre 💪#F1 #ImolaGP pic.twitter.com/GTypTwV4ch

— Formula 1 (@F1) May 16, 2025

The Emilia Romagna Grand Prix is a significant event, marking the beginning of the European leg of the season. Several top teams, including McLaren, Red Bull, and Ferrari, have introduced significant upgrades to their cars for this race. With Max Verstappen struggling in the practice session due to issues with his car's rear end, Piastri and his team are well-positioned to capitalize on the competition's challenges.

Oscar Piastri's surname holds significant recognition in Italy due to his distant relatives. On Wednesday, he received the prestigious Lorenzo Bandini Trophy in Brisighella, an award that honors the Ferrari driver who tragically died in a 1967 Monaco crash. Past winners of the award include Formula One legends like Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton.

“Considering I don’t drive for the team in red, it was impressive to see how many people were there,” Piastri told reporters of the ceremony.

“Also to meet some of my now very, very distant relatives, from where my family name originated, was very special. I’m now an honorary citizen of Licciana Nardi in Italy, which is where my great, great - maybe great - grandfather was from.

“So it was a special day. Another home race.”

Oscar Piastri's recent wins include Bahrain, where McLaren's majority owners celebrated his victory. After Imola, he'll head to Monaco, where Charles Leclerc jokingly referred to him as an “adopted son” last year. Piastri had humorously searched for Monegasque roots on social media.

FP2 CLASSIFICATION

Piastri by a whisker from Norris at the top 🤏#F1 #ImolaGP pic.twitter.com/hWX1C9Yl80

— Formula 1 (@F1) May 16, 2025

Piastri's schedule includes more ”home” races, with Silverstone being McLaren's home circuit in July and Monza hosting the main Italian Grand Prix in September.