Interview
‘It was always a two-year plan’ – Piastri exceeded all expectations, says Rosin
Newly crowned champion Oscar Piastri was originally down for two years of Formula 2, but PREMA Racing team boss René Rosin says he quickly realised that the Australian wouldn’t be sticking around for very long.
Piastri became the third rookie winner of F2, joining an exclusive club that also includes Charles Leclerc and George Russell. It was the 20-year-old’s third consecutive title after the 2020 Formula 3 Championship and the 2019 Formula Renault Eurocup trophy.
Rosin managed Piastri for the final two of those years and praised the Alpine Reserve Driver’s “incredible” mindset.
“It was always a two-year plan, but after a couple of rounds, we knew that he was there,” said Rosin. “He never gets into a panic, he never gets worried, he always listens to what people are telling him to do, and he tries to adapt as best as possible.
“He is very calm, very technically dedicated and an amazing guy to work with. We were expecting him to be a frontrunner, but maybe not to fight for the Championship. He has had an amazing season. He adapted very quickly to the car right after the first test that we did this year.”
Winning the F3 crown with two victories and further four podiums, Piastri only secured the title during a tense season finale at Mugello, whereas his road to the F2 crown was a lot smoother.
He didn’t take a single pole in F3 but ended the 2021 campaign with five in a row and went into the final round with a healthy 51.5-point advantage at the top of the standings.
His fourth successive Feature Race win on the Sunday at Yas Marina set a new record, but by then he’d already clinched the title with a podium in Sprint Race 1 on the Saturday.
“He’s a very good learner, incredibly dedicated and wants to understand everything,” Rosin continued. “Last year was a different type of season because all the races were back-to-back and there were difficulties due to covid.
“And we must also remember that in the first five rounds, Oscar had some issues with DRS and that compromised his speed, especially in Quali. Despite that, he was always able to get the best out of it and bring home points.
“This year he has made another step forward, both on track and in his self-confidence. His Quails have been very, very impressive, to take pole five times in a row is remarkable and something to really congratulate him on.”