Oscar Piastri has a real shot at becoming the first Australian since 1980 to win the F1 drivers’ title, and he has fellow Aussie Mark Webber in his corner.
Webber, who spent over a decade in Formula One from 2002 to 2013, has played a significant role in Piastri’s journey. The two have worked together since 2019, and their partnership is now focused on guiding Piastri through his third season as he chases the championship with McLaren.
After winning the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix earlier this year, Piastri put an end to Australia’s long wait for one of their own to lead the standings, something not seen since Webber held that position back in 2010. The 25-year-old also stayed on top of the leaderboard from round five through round twenty of this year’s campaign.
But as things stand heading into the final three rounds of the season, it is Lando Norris who holds a 24-point lead over him. With three races left – Las Vegas, Qatar, and Abu Dhabi – along with one more sprint event in Lusail, there are still plenty of points up for grabs.
Nicole Piastri believes Ann Webber is the ‘ultimate manager’ for Oscar Piastri
Since Jack Brabham’s championships in 1959, 1960, and 1966, Australia has only had one other F1 champion, Alan Jones, who lifted the title in 1980.
Now, as Australia continues their wait for another champion, Webber is providing Piastri with ‘invaluable’ behind-the-scenes advice to aid his bid for the title.
However, Piastri’s mother, Nicole, credits Webber’s wife, Ann, as the ‘ultimate manager’ steering her son’s career.
“It’s incredible to have an F1 driver mentoring you and someone of Mark’s level. It’s not just his experience, but also Ann Webber’s. She is very much involved; they are the dream team.”
“She is the ultimate manager, and then [Mark] is the person who has experienced what Oscar is going through. He’s a great down-to-earth Aussie. It’s perfect. Oscar benefits enormously. It’s incredible company for him to have them there,” Nicole said to SEN.
Oscar Piastri equals Mark Webber’s nine Grand Prix wins in F1
Piastri’s career was initially managed by his father, Chris Piastri, and family friend Rob McIntyre. In 2019, recognizing the need for greater support on his path to F1, Chris hired Ann and Mark Webber, with Ann having previously managed Mark’s career.
The 24-year-old first brought them on board while he was fighting for the Formula Renault Eurocup crown, a title he won later that year. He then achieved back-to-back rookie wins in the 2020 F3 championship and the 2021 F2 title before making his McLaren debut in 2023.
To date, Piastri has nine Grand Prix victories from 67 starts, matching Webber’s total but boasting a higher win percentage – 13.43% compared to Webber’s 4.19%. He also has three hat-tricks, with Bahrain, Spain, and the Netherlands all coming together for him early in the 2025 season.
Throughout his career with Williams, Minardi, Jaguar, and Red Bull, Webber was unable to achieve a hat-trick (pole position, victory, and fastest lap) or a Grand Slam (leading every lap in addition to the hat-trick), but it is what he experienced with Red Bull that helps guide Piastri now as he goes after the championship this season.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
