Can Oscar Piastri Speak Japanese?

We are all aware Formula 1 drivers are extremely talented individuals. However, because of the hyperfocus on the sport, we often neglect the fact these extremely talented individuals behind the wheel can also have other skills in their arsenal. This is exactly why, today we will put Oscar Piastri in focus and talk about the fact he’s multilingual.

As it turns out, the Australian is part of the elite group of people who can speak more than one language as he can also speak Japanese. Being multilingual is not just a skill, it can be used as a marketable skill. However, Piastri is not versed enough to use his Japanese to his advantage. The McLaren man learned the language during his school days and some phrases are still stuck with him.

In an earlier conversation with the Eff Won with DRS podcast, he revealed the extent of his Japanese. He revealed, “I just like going and seeing new places, trying out the food. I really like Japanese food, I actually studied Japanese for a few years at school.”

Intrigued by this information, the host Dax Shepard made the Aussie prove his education. “I can say, like, what my name is, and I know how to ask for a phone number, which is not as badly intentioned as you think. It’s just something that’s stuck in my head forever.” Which is: “Denwa bangou wa nan desu ka,” in Japanese.

Read More: Oscar Piastri ‘Frustrated’ with Lewis Hamilton as McLaren’s Lack of Pace Gets Evident at Saudi Arabia

So there you have it folks, a fox in an F1 car and someone who can ask for numbers in Japanese. We’re sure it will come in handy someday. With so much burning talent, what can’t Piastri not do? Well, as per his admission, Piastri can’t make aggressive overtaking maneuvers like Ayrton Senna.

Oscar Piastri admits he’s closer to Alian Prost in terms of driving style

Once upon a time, McLaren used to house two incredible world champions, Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost. Among the two, Senna was considered a better, more complete driver. However, when asked who Piastri resonates with more in terms of driving style among the two McLaren legends, he surprisingly said, “I would say much, much close to Prost in that side of things.”

He further elaborated that it’s because of the weighted emphasis on downforce in modern-day F1 cars that makes it impossible to follow Senna’s aggressive driving style. “I think with the amount of downforce we have on the cars these days, I think you have to drive them quite straight. And with the tires we have as well, they just don’t like being sideways, so you have to always adapt to what you’ve got around you.” 

This is exactly why Piastri feels his style is closer to Prost instead of Senna. However, a modern-day F1 driver is required to adapt, improvise, and overcome. This is exactly where the Australian feels his strengths lie: “I feel like one of my strengths is being able to adapt to different cars quite quickly.”

Senna or Prost, either way, the youngster is doing an incredible job and we can foresee him making a name for himself, sooner or later.