Oscar Piastri reveals what’s so ‘strange’ about Mark Webber being his Formula 1 manager

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McLaren driver Oscar Piastri and his manager, Mark Webber, are working hard to end Australia’s 45-year wait for a Formula 1 world champion.

Alan Jones was the last Australian to achieve that feat in 1980 with Williams, but Oscar Piastri is still very much in the conversation with just the final triple header of races remaining.

McLaren will be hoping that either Piastri or Lando Norris secure their first drivers’ championship with Max Verstappen still lurking in the background.

Norris has a 24-point advantage over Piastri going into the Las Vegas Grand Prix, and the 24-year-old could theoretically re-take the lead in the championship at the next race.

Piastri’s manager and mentor, Mark Webber, will be reviewing the best ways for his protege to put the pressure on Norris between now and Abu Dhabi.

Webber has shared how he plans to help Piastri, and the Australian has now explained why he finds it so ‘strange’ that he’s working with one of the drivers he admired growing up.

READ MORE: Best moments of Oscar Piastri’s F1 career including first podium, win and best races

Oscar Piastri says it’s ‘strange’ that Mark Webber is part of his management team

Piastri was asked on Off The Grid about Webber becoming his manager, and he explained: “Obviously, I grew up watching Mark racing on TV.

“So, to now have him as part of my management is kind of strange! It feels very normal now. When we first kind of explored that route, it was kind of surreal.

“It was like, I’m meeting someone who I watched pretty much my whole childhood in F1, and he’s now taking care of my career and basically telling me what to do!

“So, it took a little bit for that to sink in.”

Webber and Piastri are both level on nine F1 victories, and sit behind two drivers in the all-time ranking of most wins by an Australian.

Jones won 12 times in 116 starts, while three-time F1 champion Jack Brabham earned 14 victories during his 15-year career.

READ MORE: Mark Webber once admitted joining Williams was the most ‘costly mistake’ of his F1 career

McLaren need to give Oscar Piastri clearer instructions to help his title cause

Since winning the Dutch Grand Prix, Piastri has been outscored by Norris and Verstappen and has failed to finish on the podium since Monza.

Piastri has been struggling with his set-up, while Norris seems far happier with his car after opting to install an updated suspension configuration.

In an ideal world for McLaren, both of their drivers would set up their cars in an identical manner to avoid any accusations of favouritism.

Damon Hill was also concerned by one of Piastri’s radio messages in Brazil, where it sounded like he wasn’t completely sure what the team’s plan was during the race.

McLaren’s task was complicated by Piastri’s 10-second penalty, leaving the 24-year-old with no chance of catching Norris and little hope of limiting how much of a lead he was going to build up in the drivers’ championship.