The Australian Grand Prix is set to witness a historic moment as two Aussie drivers, hometown hero Oscar Piastri and Daniel Ricciardo, grace the grid together for the first time in over a decade.
Hailing from Melbourne, Oscar Piastri eagerly anticipates his homecoming at Albert Park for the 2024 Formula One Australian Grand Prix, scheduled for next weekend from 21st to 24th March.
The 22-year-old, driving for McLaren, is riding high after an exceptional rookie season in Formula One. Notably, he clinched his maiden pole position and victory in the Sprint races, showcasing remarkable prowess on Sundays during the Grands Prix.
Piastri’s journey to success culminated with a notable achievement at Albert Park last year. In his debut appearance at his hometown circuit and only his third Formula One Grand Prix, he secured his first F1 career points by finishing eighth.
This feat underscores his promising potential and sets the stage for an exciting return to Albert Park in the upcoming race.
Piastri stated; “It was a pretty crazy race last year but to score my first-ever F1 points in front of a home crowd will stay with me for a long time.
“It is such a special event for me. Not only is it my home country but to have grown up so close to the track and coming back to my hometown is awesome.”
The upcoming Australian Grand Prix marks the 28th edition to be held at Albert Park, following a record-breaking attendance of 443,631 spectators throughout the four-day event in 2023.
“Even on a Thursday, there are so many people on the grounds and getting involved that it has a festival feel,” Piastri stated.
“As drivers, we do feel that. We aren’t able to get out to every part of the circuit but that passion is felt and makes a huge difference.”
The return of Western Australia’s Daniel Ricciardo adds another Australian presence to the grid, as he joins the newly-renamed Visa Cash App RB team, formerly known as AlphaTauri, the sister team to Red Bull Racing, the reigning champions.
Ricciardo’s absence from the 2023 Albert Park race followed two lackluster years at McLaren, culminating in him losing his drive at the team to Piastri by the end of 2022.
Despite rejoining the grid midway through last season, his luck didn’t improve as a crash during practice for the Dutch Grand Prix in August resulted in a wrist injury, sidelining him for five of the last seven races in 2023.
There’s speculation that he could potentially replace Red Bull Racing’s Sergio Perez if he can deliver impressive performances this season, although his showings in 2024 thus far have been inconsistent.
Ricciardo is among the pool of Red Bull drivers who might showcase the 2000hp electric Ford SuperVan in demonstration runs at Albert Park.
Ford utilized Ricciardo’s presence at the 2023 Australian Grand Prix to announce their intentions to sell the electric Mustang Mach-E in Australia, following a confirmed technical partnership with Red Bull starting from the 2026 season.
On the racing front, last year’s Australian Grand Prix victor and the reigning 2023 world champion, Max Verstappen, driving for Red Bull Racing, has convincingly triumphed in the first two races of the 2024 season.
Verstappen’s dominance was highlighted by his record-breaking 19 wins, including seven consecutive victories, out of 23 races last year, with teammate Perez securing three additional wins, leading to Red Bull’s near-total dominance throughout the season.
The offseason also witnessed a seismic shift with seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, who spent his entire 17-year Formula One career in a Mercedes-powered car, announcing his move to Ferrari for the 2025 season.
