\u201cI\u2019m there waiting, at the ready. In terms of on-track results, I\u2019ve basically done everything that I can already, so it\u2019s just a bit of a waiting game now.<\/p>\n
\u201cI can still try to prove myself off the track. I\u2019m working hard in the simulator this year, trying to learn as much as I can from the team and make a good impression.\u201d<\/p>\n
Piastri may not get the opportunity to compete in an F1 race this calendar year, but feels his move may be vindicated by the resources he can now tap into.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a bit of an odd situation, winning three championships and then basically having to take a year off from racing,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s odd, the way things work, but there are still a lot of ways I can try to prove myself.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll be doing quite a few test days in the 2021 Alpine F1 car. So while I won\u2019t be racing I\u2019ve still got some driving lined up, which is very cool.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd obviously in an F1 car, which is pretty special. It\u2019s a bit of a shift, but at the same time I\u2019m still trying to do everything I can do in my power to prove why I should be in F1.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m still pushing as hard as I can, wherever I can, to show why I deserve to be there.\u201d<\/p>\n
His first test day won\u2019t be his first exposure to an F1 build, however.<\/p>\n
After Piastri joined the Renault Sport Academy (rebranded to Alpine in 2021) two years ago and went on to win the F3 championship, he was awarded a test in the then-Renault car.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s just a completely different beast,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s such a big step up in everything – power, grip, downforce. It\u2019s just nuts, the car has so much grip it just sticks at all the corners.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt sticks until it doesn\u2019t stick, it doesn\u2019t like sliding at all, so you\u2019ve got to catch it pretty quickly if it lets go\u2026 but generally you can push it very, very hard to get to that point.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs a racing driver, it\u2019s probably the best feeling you can have, to try and push as hard as you can through the corners and the car just sticks.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Melburnian\u2019s progression seems almost too good to be true, more linear than anyone could reasonably expect of themselves.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it\u2019s surprised myself as much as anybody, how well the last three years went,\u201d Piastri said.<\/p>\n
\u201cInitially our plan was to do two years of F3 and two years of F2, which was a four-year plan, and I ended up doing it in two years.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt went through a lot quicker than I expected, and I guess Alpine also didn\u2019t expect it either. I\u2019m confident they\u2019ll be able to find me a spot in F1 for next year, hopefully.\u201d<\/p>\n
So, could Piastri find himself behind the wheel when the Australian Grand Prix is held in his home town in early April?<\/p>\n \u201cI wouldn\u2019t rule it out, that\u2019s why I\u2019m a reserve driver!\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll see, I don\u2019t wish any bad health or injuries on anybody, but if I get a seat that\u2019s good for me, and a good chance to prove myself.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve wanted to be an F1 driver since I was a little kid. The opportunity to do that, especially at Melbourne, would be a bit of a shock and a bit of pressure, but it would be very, very, very cool.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know, we\u2019ll see how it goes. If I get the phone call, I\u2019ll be ready.\u201d<\/p>\n Piastri hopes for a smooth start to life on the road with Alonso and Ocon, having already begun to forge a friendship with the former.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve spent a little bit of time speaking to him already,\u201d Piastri said.<\/p>\n \u201cI went to the Qatar Grand Prix last year and basically did not quite the full reserve driver role but sat in on all the meetings and briefings.<\/p>\n \u201cI learned how he and Esteban went about F1, and went about making the car quicker. You learn pretty quickly why these guys are at the top, and why Fernando is a two-time world champion.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m looking forward to it, and hopefully I can try to learn as much as I can off him this year, and translate it into my own career in the near-future.\u201d<\/p>\n The 2022 Formula 1 season will commence in Bahrain on 20 March, and finish in Abu Dhabi on 20 November.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/bendigotimes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/20211215001606555909-original-300x200.jpg\")