Oscar Piastri Reminisces Over Heartwarming Moment When He Won Over “Home Hero” Lando Norris’ Loyal Army

Every Formula 1 driver believes nothing can beat the atmosphere and the feeling they get at their home races. The support they get there is special, and if you don’t believe it, rewatch the start of the British GP and listen to the crowd as Lando Norris overtakes Max Verstappen for the lead. And while it was Norris, the home hero, who got to the podium at Silverstone, his teammate Oscar Piastri stole the show with the crowd.

Sports in the UK are a big part of people’s daily lives there. So every chance they get, they take over sporting events with their chants and support. And that’s exactly what they did as Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris walked onto the stage after the race to meet the crowd. 

Oscar Piastri couldn’t get enough of the crowd

The British GP is not just Norris’ home race. It’s also McLaren’s. Needless to say, the support for the Papaya team throughout the weekend was through the roof. And that included cheering the team’s Aussie driver, Piastri. Since Oscar stepped into F1 this year, he’s shown his talent. But until Silverstone, he didn’t have the car to maximize his potential. McLaren added upgrades to his MCL60 this weekend, and he was right up there with Norris every chance he got. After qualifying in P3, he finished the race in P4, but everyone believed he deserved a podium. So the crowd made sure he knew it, too.

As the McLaren duo walked onto the stage, the place was taken over by chants of “OHHH OSCAR PIASTRI!” While discussing his experience after the event, Piastri said, “It was pretty special when I walked onto the stage alongside Lando, the home hero, and the crowd started chanting my name first!”

Read More: As Bromance With Lando Norris Continues To Grow, Oscar Piastri Replicates McLaren Teammate’s Iconic Race Weekend Shenanigans

The fact that Norris is the Britisher, a crowd favorite, and the one who got a podium, but the crowd cheered for Piastri first was a testament to how quickly the UK crowd has taken a liking to the young Aussie and considers him their own. Lando took advantage of Oscar’s overwhelmed and heart-warmed state to coax him into fulfilling what’s become an F1 tradition now.

Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris do the Shoey

The Shoey was a tradition started by Piastri’s compatriot, Daniel Ricciardo. And during Ricciardo’s stint at McLaren, he had the opportunity to share a Shoey with Norris. Lando seems to have taken a liking toward the tradition because he made Piastri do it too.

The Brit poured champagne into someone else’s shoe and asked Piastri to down it. Oscar seemed vehement, but the crowd pushed him to follow through. Much to his dislike, he did. And Lando followed suit. While many people find the Shoey disgusting, it reminded fans of Ricciardo and the relationship Lando and he shared.

Watch This Story: Is Oscar Piastri Already Justifying His Talent By Performing Better Than Daniel Ricciardo at McLaren?

How would you rate Oscar Piastri’s British GP weekend?