Oscar Piastri thinks the start of the Australian Grand Prix will be chaotic. Here’s why

Australia’s Formula 1 hero Oscar Piastri is used to adapting to new things quickly.

The Melburnian breezed through Formula 3 and Formula 2 in his junior years, winning both championships in successive seasons, and impressed early in Formula 1, finishing third in the championship standings last year behind McLaren teammate Lando Norris.

But in the face of new regulations, and new cars, Piastri said there is a lot of unknown, admitting, “I don’t think anyone honestly knows how racing is going to go”.

“I like to think my brain is pretty logical and doing things for a reason is generally an important thing for me,” Piastri told Australian media on Wednesday afternoon.

“The more I understand about these cars, the quicker you try and learn. And I think, for me, generally, understanding the things I need to do comes pretty quickly. So hopefully, that is an advantage.”

The opening race of the season will provide fans their first glimpse at the new cars, which have changed to meet new regulations around engines, chassis and tyres. Pre-season testing in Bahrain was mixed, with some drivers noting their style will need to change.

When the five red lights go out on Sunday, Piastri thinks the start will be chaos.

“I say that in just an exciting way, I don’t think it’s going to be dangerous, or you know, ridiculous,” he said.

“I think there’s just going to be more variation to starts than what we’ve had for the past few years.

“In the past, five or maybe 10 metres has separated the whole field, which is two car lengths, whereas this year ... some of the bad starts we’ve seen through testing are significantly worse than just 10 metres different.

“So I think from that side of things, the start will probably be more exciting.”

Last year, McLaren entered the Albert Park round as the favourites following an impressive pre-testing stint and a strong performance in qualifying.

This year, Piastri said McLaren are not the favourites to win, though thinks the team is in the mix to be at the front.

“I don’t think the picture looks quite as positive for us at the moment as it did 12 months ago, but I think the big caveat to that for everyone is there’s so much potential still unexplored.”

When quizzed about the team’s infamous “papaya rules”, Piastri said both he and Norris would be treated the same this season.

“We’re not going to be swapping each other around for no reason,” Piastri added.

Last year’s Melbourne race opened under torrential rain with multiple crashes, retirements and safety cars, and Piastri was asked what conditions he was hoping for in 2026.

“If you’re the fastest car on track, you want to stay dry. If you’re not, then you probably want a bit of action and a bit a few more opportunities.”

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