Oscar Piastri: The Rookie: In the Driver’s Seat with the Next F1 Legend

by Andrew Van Leeuwen

The meteoric rise of motorsports phenom Oscar Piastri has been the stuff of legends - so far. Three years and a record-breaking three straight titles across Formula Renault, Formula 3 and Formula 2 set up one of the most anticipated F1 rookie seasons ever when the 21-year-old Melburnian joined the famous McLaren team. Being wooed over from Alpine to replace a struggling Daniel Ricciardo and help turn the team's fortunes around only added to the weight of expectation.

The grid was set, the world's cameras were rolling, rabid fans filled the stands, but could the rookie deliver? What version of Oscar Piastri would emerge from the crucible?

The storylines that unfolded during the 2023 F1 season only added to Piastri's growing legend. He not only proved he deserved his seat alongside Lando Norris in McLaren papaya, but also that he could go toe to toe with the best drivers on the planet. Clawing his way up the driver standings with his signature poise and focus, and jaw-dropping comebacks, Oscar tallied an impressive points haul, two podium finishes and a budding rivalry with his teammate. Most of all, he let his growing legion of fans and F1 diehards around the world know they were witnessing the making of a future champion.

Premier motorsport journalist Andrew van Leeuwen gives us an insider's look into Piastri's rise to F1 stardom - from the moment his racing roots first took hold to the ups, downs and inevitable controversies that led to his arrival at McLaren - while also exploring the pressure of fame and fortune, the pageantry and rich history, that goes hand in hand with life on the biggest motorsports stage in the world.

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography

344 pages, Paperback

Published March 5, 2024

Reviews

[jazza · Rating 5 out of 5]

a bookie about pookie. therefore i loved it.

[Becky_beksta (beks.reads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I'm not usually one to read biographies but a book about one of my favourite f1 drivers? Sign me up.

I didn't expect to love this book as much as I did. I got into F1 earlier this year and instantly became a Mclaren girlie so being able to learn about Oscar's rookie year and about the team's 2023 season was so cool.

I loved how majority of the chapters were centered around each Grand Prix and how not only Oscar did, but also Lando and the team. It was cool to see how they developed the car over the season. I also loved how at the end of each chapter there was a bit about the history of each track which helped me to learn new things about the sport and how I came to be what it is today.

If you're a Mclaren fan or even a F1 fan I would give this book a read!

[Sean Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

An easy to read and pacy summary of McLaren's 2023 F1 season, with a particular focus on young Aussie driver Oscar Piastri. With a smattering of F1 history thrown in for good measure, the book is entertaining and informative. It doesn't get bogged down in the esoteric or the technical, making it the perfect read for even the most casual of motorsport fans.

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh this just makes me like Oscar Piastri even more. Calculated coolness is the perfect way to describe his attitude during his 2023 rookie season.

[Laura · Rating 1 out of 5]

sadly this biography was a complete disappointment. if you watched the 2023 f1 season, reading this book is absolutely redundant. there are barely any information about oscar in it, this book is very technical, rather focussing on the team and the car than giving any personal stories. there are 17 pages (an entire chapter) wasted on karun chandhok’s story of how he became a racing driver which has absolutely no business in another driver’s biography if you ask me. the chapters were just a play by play of what happened that race weekend, with some direct quotes from media interviews. if you expect to read something about oscar piastri’s life, you won’t find much in this book. if you want to learn about technicalities in f1, you will learn a lot here. no recommendation from me :(

[Kimberley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad read, I thought it would centralise a bit more on Piastri, his training, his life etc. Seemed to be more of a commentary of the races. I did like track history part though, found this quite interesting and the technical knowledge I didn't have beforehand, was also useful to read about.

[Finch]

Wdym they have a book about my favorite racer?! YES PLEASE! ✨🧡🏎️

[Liisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

*Oscar Piastri: The Rookie* by Andrew van Leeuwen delivers an exhilarating chronicle of Oscar Piastri’s inaugural season in Formula 1. This compelling narrative captures Piastri’s meteoric rise in motorsport, detailing his exceptional talent and unyielding determination.

Van Leeuwen expertly traces Piastri’s journey from karting to his unprecedented achievement of winning consecutive championships in Formula Renault, Formula 3, and Formula 2. This set the stage for his highly anticipated rookie season in F1. The book delves into Piastri’s dramatic transition from Alpine to McLaren, replacing Daniel Ricciardo, and the immense expectations that came with it.

As the 2023 F1 season unfolds, *The Rookie* captures the intensity and pressure Piastri faced. Van Leeuwen offers a behind-the-scenes look at the challenges and triumphs of a debut season in the world’s most prestigious motorsport. The book vividly portrays race days’ electric atmosphere and the strategic complexities of the sport.

Piastri’s performance is spectacular. His impressive points haul, two podium finishes, and a rivalry with teammate Lando Norris highlight his exceptional skill. Van Leeuwen captures these moments with detail, providing an exhilarating account of Piastri’s on-track exploits and his growing reputation as a future champion.

*The Rookie* also explores the broader context of Formula 1, including the pageantry, history, and pressure of fame and fortune. Van Leeuwen’s portrayal of Piastri is nuanced and empathetic, shedding light on the personal and professional challenges faced by a young driver on the cusp of greatness.

Van Leeuwen’s authoritative and engaging writing makes this book a must-read for motorsport enthusiasts and anyone captivated by the thrilling journey of a rising star in Formula 1.

[Alice Burnett · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would mark this as spoilers but it’s literally history lmao.

This book was, honestly baffling. I think that’s why it’s taken me so long to write this. I spent half of it trying to figure out who the target audience for this was and the other half having the time of my life because the answer is specifically me.

The book splits itself into two sections; Pre-F1 and During his first year in F1. The first part was honestly really interesting, while the journalist apparently didn’t talk to OP at all during the research portion, he talked to a lot of the people who’d supported his career so that was cool I guess. The real kicker though is the repeated use of The Tweet™️. And also the breakdown of the backlash within Alpine as a team. Also a really interesting section on the claims court for contracts.

Part Two (AKA F1 Time), divides itself in a way that was at first confusing and seemed senseless at first, but I enjoyed more and more as the book went on. Each chapter is focused on a different race weekend in the ‘23 calendar, and after a two page recap on the race itself and a table including OP’s results, the book moves into a subsection that elaborates on a history of each track/country’s Grand Prix. These two page history lessons would detail political strain, the biggest crashes, ecological interference and of course, some of the greatest rivalries and their biggest moments at these tracks.

Ending the book with a reference to Brocedes is something I will never forgive. But still, I had a great time tbh, I’m not sure why it’s not a five-star book, it’s just something I can feel in my gut.

[Jake · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is very well written. With races told like stories, and histories of each track as it follows Oscar Piastri in his rookie year, and also goes into the intricacies of the race, such as other competitors rivalries and motives. If you are new to the sport or have already enjoyed the sport for years, this book has a lot for you to learn and see about the different parts of racing, like the reason for chicane placements and how tire density and weather affect the sport. This book taught me not only about Oscar Piastri, but also about the role he took on as a racer for McLaren, and how much he has risen to the occasion.

[Angus McDonald · Rating 3 out of 5]

Offered a fantastic insight into what was one of the most unique rookie experiences in recent F1 history; from the infamous tweet all the way to the McLaren car upgrades turning around their performance at timeline the sport had not seen in decades. The book was broken down race by race for the 2023 season, with a fantastic F1 circuit history summary at the end of each chapter. This structure however did become tiring, and the repetition of good results come seasons end did mean each chapter told a similar story.

[Jess · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve been looking forward for this biography for a while now and while it’s written by someone who knows their F1, it wasn’t what I wanted. I went into this looking for an Oscar Piastri biography: his love of cars from a tender age, how he grew up around them, moving to England as a teen to pursue a career in racing. This touched on his move into F1 only for the first chapter or two and then it ultimately became a retelling of the 2023 season. I want to make clear that this wasn’t bad by any means. It just wasn’t what I was looking for. 3 ⭐️

[⟡⋆ 𝚎𝚕𝚊𝚛𝚊 ⋆˚𝜗𝜚˚⋆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

i liked this book a lot. as a Formula One fan, i found myself very interested in a book about my favorite driver and read it in about a month. the first 50 or so pages with long chapters were not as fun, but very informative. for the rest of the book, i found myself almost attached to it, keeping it by me at all sides and reading it when i could. i enjoyed this a lot! the backstories and histories on each grand prix were very interesting to read since i got some extra information! in all, i really liked this book, even though it wasn’t in my usual fantasy/romance/thriller genre!

[GrindingChemo · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was hoping for a lot more from this one, maybe it was written too early in his career.

The book feels like it's made up by about

15% Oscar pre-2023.
20% Oscar in 2023.
30% General F1 rules and well know history.
35% The 2023 F1 season in general.

I'd prefer 60% Oscar's run to F1 and 30% the most recent season and 10% F1 history throwbacks.

[Jemma · Rating 2 out of 5]

enjoyed it because it was about formula one. had some good moments, but it was also at times biased, and not even towards piastri, whom the book focuses on? also, several of the grands prix 'brief histories' did not even focus on that, which is disappointing.

[lara · Rating 3 out of 5]

if there’s a bio on my favourite driver obviously i’m gonna read it. this was a comprehensive recap of piastri’s rookie season with some good historical information about past and current drivers mixed in. reading this hit so different after his first win in hungary

[May Sung · Rating 3 out of 5]

A really good race by race outline of Piastri’s rookie season in F1. Was hoping for a more in depth look about Piastri’s journey to F1 and background, but this book was more a weekly analysis of his races for 2023. Some interesting stories about contract agreements.

[Elisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was great to learn more about Oscar's first season in F1, really loved the track history snippets and the personal insights/stories from the people around Oscar like his family, presenters and the McLaren team

[foamoftheocean · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this one, but some of the grand prix history wasnt really how the track got there or who won on it? Other than that, really good recount of Oscar’s rookie season. Nice to see how far he has come since then.

[Tracey · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was good to read, straight forward and simple.

Each chapter covered each race with the history of the track throughout Oscar’s rookie year.

He really is a calm, focused driver with a once in a lifetime talent that comes naturally to him.

[Phillip Pettinella · Rating 2 out of 5]

Perfect example of don’t judge a book by its cover.

I wanted to read a book about Oscar’s life but this book was a recap of the 2023 season of drive to survive. It had its interesting parts but not a much about Oscar.

[Jennifer James · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a really interesting insight into the works of F1

[Jo Gordon · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

[A J · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quite a comprehensive story of Oscars life until.2023

[Catherine MacLean · Rating 3 out of 5]

An easy pacy read (see what I did there) that combines a race by race run down from the 2023 season, Oscar’s first, with a short history of each race circuit.

[Sarah Browning · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not what I was expecting but very interesting

[Hannah Patch · Rating 5 out of 5]

i don’t really know how to rate a book like this since it was mostly informational

[Lorelei · Rating 3 out of 5]

Finished this book...like a winner.

[Paris Erceg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great Book for people who enjoy formula 1, love Oscar Piastri and love behind the scenes of the racing world or hearing stories of drivers journeys to F1!

[Alexa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mid book about a freaking fire F1 driver.
(I am completely biased)