Oscar Piastri has admitted that the fame that acꦺcompanied🍨 his F1 rise was unexpected.

Piastri, 23, has already established himself as 🔯one of Formula 1’s most exciting starlets for the futur♋e midway through his second season.

While he arr🌜ived into the high-pressure environment of F1 prepared to thrive, he was less ready for what w🦄ould happen off-track.

“You can get advice on how to deal with the media and work with♎ sponsors, but fame is really something that you can’t be taught about,” Piastri told .

“There’s no guiᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚdebook. It’s one thing to be recognized at ꦗthe track - that’s expected.

“The biggest thing that surprised me rea𝓰lly, it was ju𒐪st like how many people started to recognize me off the track in regular life.”

Australia’s Piastri took the McLaren seat from his better-known compatriot ꦚDaniel Ricciardo at the end of 𒁃2022.

🙈Two podiums in his first year paved the way for a brilliant season to date in 20✱24.

Piastri won his maiden F1 grand prix in Hungary, on top of three other podium finishes as McLaren roared to the front 🃏of the grid.

The steady growth of the F1 team has raised Piastri’s hope that they could explode out of the blocks ꦓwhen the ♉new regulations begin.

“Ch𝓡anges to the engine – which will happen in 2026 – can introd♐uce differences,” he said.

“So, there will be a large margin for improvem♌ent for the teams over time.

“History has sh🀅own that there's normallyꩵ one team that gets it right more than the others initially.

“It wouldn'♚t be a total surprise to see if one team kind of comes out ahead in ‘26. Hopefully, that's us. But we'll wait and see.”

McLaren CEO Zak Brown has already shut ꦡthe door to Adrian Newey, the outgoing Red Bull chief technica🅺l officer whose availability is causing a scramble between front-running teams.

Brown’s insistence that he won’t sign Newey is a show of faith in McLaren🐷’s development.

Andrea Stella has penned a new de♈al to reꦉmain as team principal.

“I think it's very, very important to have stability, especia𝓡lly with such a key person like the team p𒉰rincipal,” Piastri reacted.

“He's been an i🐟ncredible leader for us for the last year and a half.”