Oscar Piastri opens up about his intense travel demands as he aims to take home advantage in the Australian F1 Grand Prix

As the Formula 1 season kicks off at Albert Park this weekend, Australian driver Oscar Piastri is setting his sights on a strong campaign with McLaren. Now entering his third season, Piastri has already cemented himself as one of F1’s rising stars since his debut in 2023. After securing two Grand Prix victories in Hungary and Azerbaijan last season, Piastri played a pivotal role in McLaren’s historic Constructors' Championship win — their first in 26 years.

While Oscar Piastri’s championship ambitions are clear, the demanding F1 calendar presents its own challenges. With 24 races on the schedule, the 23-year-old has revealed the staggering number of flights he takes annually. “Far too many,” Piastri told News Corp. “We've got 24 races, so that's at least 48 flights. And then you're flying to the sim [simulator], pretty much before every race. So I would probably say double that — about 100.”

Traveling across continents for races and simulations means Piastri spends limited time at home. “I think last season we added it up and it was maybe 100 (nights),” he said. “So it's just over three months. So it's not a lot. And the longest period you kind of have in one go is maybe a full week if you're lucky. But normally if you can get three or four days, that's a decent stint.”
The physical toll of constant travel and intense racing conditions is significant. Piastri highlighted the unique physical strain of driving an F1 car, particularly the pressure on his neck from G-forces. “When you get to F1, you have power steering but the G-Forces are off the scale so your neck takes a massive beating and it's obviously not a very conventional muscle to train,” he explained.

Piastri maintains a rigorous fitness regimen, balancing strength and cardio sessions depending on the race schedule. “If it’s a race week in Europe… I’d do a lighter recovery day on Monday then a full training day. If there’s no racing, then you train the whole time. But when you’re going to Asia or off to the Americas, with all the travelling and jet lag, you just get in what you can when you have the chance.”
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Piastri’s performances in pre-season testing have fueled optimism for the upcoming season. The McLaren MCL39 has shown impressive speed and reliability, positioning Piastri among the frontrunners for the season opener. Having finished eighth and fourth at Albert Park in 2023 and 2024 respectively, Piastri will be aiming to improve on those results. With McLaren’s resurgence and Piastri’s growing confidence, the Australian could be on track to become the first Aussie to claim the Drivers' Championship since Alan Jones in 1980.