“I’d always wake up in the morning to see if Daniel won.” These words expressed by Oscar Piastri can be related to many Daniel Ricciardo supporters. After disputes over his name between two midfield teams, the young Australian made his debut this year with Mclaren. However, the prodigy may not have expected the first two rounds of his debut season to go as they did, but his trip up until this point has been extremely thrilling. Moreover, in a recent podcast with F1 Beyond the Grid, the 21-year-old admitted that he is a die-hard honey badger lover. Nonetheless, it is strange that the youngster who admired his countryman ended up replacing him at the Woking base squad.

Following a dismal two-year run, the papaya family had severed connections with the Honey badger. The McLaren rookie, Oscar Piastri, was then selected to replace his countryman Daniel Ricciardo in the Mclaren lineup this season. Nonetheless, things are done and dusted and the third round of a new season is around the corner. Piastri, who may have had great expectations from the team, has remained unsatisfied up to this point since the squad is having reliability problems and, after two races, is at the bottom of the standings.

Nevertheless, growing up, the 21-year-old had a dream of racing at the pinnacle of motorsport. Oscar Piastri, who attended the Beyond the Grid podcast, spoke with the host about how, as a small boy, he used to sit and watch two of his favorite pilots compete while still being fascinated by their aura. Two Australian drivers that particularly impressed the young Piastri were Daniel Ricciardo and Mark Webber.

While revealing his desire to see his countryman win, he said, “At that time I was still in Australia. And the races were [at] Two or three in the morning before school because of the time difference. So I’d always wake up in the morning hoping that mark had win which happened a few times. I’m sure it would have liked more but it was always exciting to see you know whether he’d won or not and you know it’s the same when Daniel went to red bull as well.”

He added, “I’d always wake up seeing if Daniel won and you know it was always exciting when he had or mark had as well. So it’s you know kind of a nice feeling that hopefully one day I’d like to be in the same position and hopefully someone thinking that about me!”

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Oscar Piastri is the sole Australian with whom the nation’s supporters may place their hopes after Daniel Ricciardo’s temporary departure from Formula 1. And as the home Grand Prix draws near, Piastri is feeling excited about it.

Oscar Piastri feels excited about the “home” Grand Prix race in Melbourne

The eagerly awaited Australian Grand Prix is quickly approaching, but for rookie Paistri, the Melbourne circuit will provide a far greater thrill. The Melbourne-born pilot has never competed at the Albert Park Circuit in his hometown, but as the third round of Formula One draws near, the McLaren prospect is preparing for his first “home” race.

The Australian will aim to score some crucial points for the squad after the poor first two rounds. Talking to Formula 1.com the 21-year-old said, “It’s great to be heading to Melbourne for my home Grand Prix. I grew up in the suburbs of the city and it is a special feeling to be returning as an F1 driver.”

He added, “It’s set to be a fantastic atmosphere and I can’t wait to get there and be a part of it. I’m really looking forward to seeing all of the home crowd and all of the papaya fans. This will be the first time that I’ve raced at Albert Park and I’m sure it will be an experience that I remember.”

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The Australian Grand Prix has long been a fan favorite, so the rookie will undoubtedly experience something unique when competing in front of the home fans. With that, do you believe McLaren will score some crucial points at the Melbourne track?