'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Oscar Piastri believes Logan Sargeant could have achieved more during his challenging time in Formula 1. In an exclusive interview with select media, including Sportskeeda, the McLaren driver discussed the intense mental pressures of the sport and how they can hinder on-track performance.
Reflecting on Sargeant’s F1 struggles, Piastri expressed admiration for his former teammate’s abilities, having fought hard against him for the F3 title. As the Italian Grand Prix marked Sargeant’s replacement by Franco Colapinto, the Australian driver empathized with his former F3 rival, acknowledging the difficulty of overcoming the intense pressures of the sport. The former Prema duo made their F1 debut together in 2023, but by 2024, their fortunes had taken contrasting paths.
Piastri acknowledged that Sargeant didn’t showcase his full potential in F1, citing the sport’s high-pressure environment, where drivers can quickly fall into a negative spiral. While not privy to the specifics of Williams’ decision, he firmly believes the American is capable of achieving far more than what he demonstrated on the F1 stage.
When asked by Sportskeeda if Sargeant’s dismissal highlighted the brutal pressures of the sport, despite his F3 success, Piastri said,
“Yeah, I mean, I think for me, Logan's time in F1 was obviously quite difficult. And for me, I know exactly what he's capable of in the junior categories. I've been his teammate before, so yeah, I don't think we saw the best of Logan in F1, I would say. It is a very high -pressure environment, and it's very easy to get into a pretty negative spiral pretty quickly. You know, I don't know the full ins and outs of his year and a half in F1, but yeah, you know, there's a lot of people watching, a lot of people putting pressure on you, and if you don't get yourself out of that hole, it can be a pretty destructive place. So, yeah, it's a shame, obviously, that it's happened that way because I think he is capable of much more than what he showed in F1. But yeah that is the environment we're in.”
Oscar Piastri hopes three Australian drivers on the grid will inspire young talent in his country
Oscar Piastri reflected on the impact of having more Australians on the Formula 1 grid, particularly with Jack Doohan joining Alpine in 2025. He noted how, during his own journey, seeing Mark Webber as the sole Australian in F1 and later Daniel Ricciardo's rise to the sport played a crucial role in inspiring him.
Piastri hopes that the presence of multiple Australians at the top level, including himself and Doohan, will inspire young drivers back home to chase their F1 dreams. However, he cautioned that the path to F1 is incredibly challenging and requires difficult decisions, such as moving to Europe to compete. He stressed that while it's possible, it's not an easy journey.
In response to Sportskeeda's question about the impact of Doohan joining Alpine, Oscar Piastri expressed optimism, saying,
“I mean hopefully it inspires a lot of kids really. You know I think when there's when there's just one like you know when I grew up it was just Mark (Webber) as well and then Daniel (Ricciardo) got there as a second Aussie. Yeah I think seeing more Aussies is only going to hopefully motivate more kids to go out and try and get to F1 themselves. You know, I think even for myself, I was kind of part of a pretty big group of Aussies that went over to Europe, I would say. I think at one point in Formula Renault, there was like five of us, which is a lot. So I think the kind of wave of kids, trying to get to F1 had already kind of started with my generation.”
Further explaining the impact of more Australians on the grid, the 23-year-old said,
“But hopefully seeing more of us and especially young I was using me and Jack especially now, it just inspires them more. But I hope it also doesn't make them naive, that it's incredibly difficult to do you know. There's a lot of hard work there's a lot of big decisions that you need to make. Because ultimately you can't become an F1 driver by staying in Australia. So yeah I would just say don't underestimate the challenge but clearly with at least two, we'll see if it's three next year, it's definitely possible.”
The 2025 grid will feature two confirmed Australian drivers: Piastri at McLaren and Doohan at Alpine. Daniel Ricciardo's future remains undecided, but if he continues, the grid could see a total of three Australian drivers. Piastri is currently fifth in the driver standings, and McLaren is only eight points behind Red Bull Racing in the constructor championship.
The Melbourne native has expressed confidence in his ability to match teammate Lando Norris and contend for the title. However, if McLaren chooses a title favorite, Piastri may be required to take on a supporting role.
