Oscar Piastri - 2021 Champion

Even generational talents George Russell and Charles Leclerc weren’t able to win three titles in a row on their way up the junior motorsport ladder, but that’s exactly what Oscar Piastri did, adding the 2021 Formula 2 title to a trophy cabinet that also includes the 2020 Formula 3 crown and the 2019 Formula Renault trophy.

After beginning his career in competitive RC racing, Piastri took up karting in 2011 at the age of 10, before making his single-seater debut in 2016. Within two years he’d won Formula Renault Eurocup – which earned him a spot in what’s now the Alpine Academy – and been taken under the wing of Australian racing legend Mark Webber.

The F1 team placed their newest prospect into F3, where he continued to exceed expectations during a COVID-19 effected 2020 campaign. Despite never taking pole, Piastri won the championship with six podiums, including two wins, and finished out of the points just three times.

But it was in the top tier of junior motorsport where Piastri truly outlined himself as a future star. Charging to the title, Piastri finishing outside of the points just four times, taking 14 top five finishes from 23 races, including a haul of six wins, five podiums and five consecutive poles.

The Australian will get his long-awaited Formula 1 debut in 2023 when he lines up for McLaren alongside 2018 Vice Champion Lando Norris.