Meeting LeBron James & Michael Jordan Top F1 Prodigy Oscar Piastri’s Bucket List

Oscar Piastri, the 22-year-old sensation who burst onto the F1 scene with McLaren in the 2023 season, recently revealed a couple of surprising items on his bucket list. Although it is quite well known that Piastri has a thing for cricket, tennis, and golf outside of motorsports, he recently revealed that a meeting with basketball legends LeBron James and Michael Jordan is at the top of his bucket list.

Piastri’s journey into the limelight has been nothing short of extraordinary. Having conquered the Formula Renault Eurocup, Formula 3, and Formula 2 championships in consecutive rookie seasons, Oscar Piastri continued his meteoric rise in Formula racing with McLaren. In his rookie season, the young Aussie clinched the Sprint Shootout pole and secured McLaren’s first Sprint victory in Qatar, outmaneuvering the might of Red Bull in the hands of Max Verstappen.

However, with the 2023 season in the books and the Holiday season in full swing, Piastri reveals his wish to meet the two NBA legends and perhaps even watch an NBA game.

Oscar Piastri thinks meeting his sporting idols will be cool

The connection between Piastri and Michael Jordan goes beyond a casual admiration. The inspiration to idolize Jordan was sparked by the Netflix docu-series ‘The Last Dance,’ a glimpse into the unparalleled dedication of the basketball legend. In praising Jordan’s work ethic, Piastri provided a window into his own mindset and the qualities he values in an athlete.

When asked if he wanted to meet any particular celebrity during a recent interview with F1.com, Oscar Piastri said, “Good question. I think meeting Michael Jordan or LeBron James would be very cool. I mean, I have met some very cool people this year already, which has been nice. But yeah, probably Michael Jordan. From racing, I’ve been lucky enough to meet quite a few cool people in motorsport as well. But Michael Jordan’s probably at the top of the list.“

“I would love to see an NBA game,” he added. “I haven’t been yet. I would say I’ve been to quite a lot of other sporting events: I’ve been to The Ashes in Australia, I’ve been to Australian rules football games, and other motorsport events of course. But an NBA game is probably the next one to tick off the list. Maybe an NFL game as well potentially, those two.”

READ MORE: “It Wasn’t Easy”: Emotional Oscar Piastri Recalls Childhood Sacrifices as F1 Dream Comes to Life

Speaking of bucket lists, it would be fair to say that Piastri would want to clinch his first F1 win before Lando Norris does. To be honest, Oscar Piastri was the challenge Norris needed after a couple of seasons, with no competition from his teammate. But this could also mean that things could get heated between the two papaya-colored cars on the track.

McLaren is confident of handling possible Norris-Piastri issues

In the 2023 F1 season, McLaren witnessed a significant improvement in the performance of both drivers. The team’s progress fueled a competitive spirit between Norris and Piastri, as they consistently vied for podium positions in the second half of the season. The success, however, raised concerns about a potential rift emerging between the drivers.

McLaren CEO Zak Brown is aware of the delicate balance required in managing such situations. He acknowledges the intense competitiveness between Norris and Piastri as he was quoted by Motorsport Italia, “They [Norris and Piastri] are very competitive at the moment, you can feel a real energy around them as they drive for the team. We know there will be a day, probably sooner rather than later, when they will look after their own interests.”

The season results saw Norris claiming 205 points and finishing in P6 in the Drivers’ Championship, while Piastri secured 97 points and a Sprint win. Brown anticipates the performance gap to narrow in 2024, with McLaren providing a more competitive car. In terms of driver management, Brown emphasizes, “I believe that Andrea’s [McLaren team principal] and my strengths are driver management. So I think we can anticipate and manage the situation to ensure that healthy competitiveness remains.”

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Will Oscar Piastri clinch the first Grand Prix win before the more experienced driver Lando Norris? Share your insights in the comments below.