P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Oscar Piastri enjoyed a strong rookie campaign in Formula 1 as he was able to undertake extensive private testing before jumping into the race seat. With the preparation proving important, a young prospect of Ferrari is looking to match the Australian’s progression.
Before his rookie season in Formula 1, Oscar Piastri gained valuable experience through private tests with Alpine. Although he ultimately joined McLaren, it was his extensive outings with Alpine that allowed him to familiarize himself with the nuances of an F1 car. Rookie drivers have limited testing opportunities in F1 due to reduced pre-season and in-season testing, but a new rule requiring two mandatory FP1 outings per team has helped rookies gain experience. Oliver Bearman, who tested with Ferrari and made his FP1 debut with Haas, believes Piastri’s extensive test program before his F1 debut contributed to his successful rookie campaign. Bearman hopes to have more FP1 opportunities and private testing to prepare for his own future F1 season, taking advantage of the availability of the 2022 cars for testing next year.
