Piastri back in F1 winner's circle with stirring Spanish Grand Prix triumph
Australia's Oscar Piastri has won the Spanish Grand Prix ahead of his teammate Lando Norris as McLaren continued their early dominance of the Formula 1 championship.
The 24-year-old Melburnian banked his fifth win of the campaign on Sunday, flying away from pole position and executing a flawless race to extend his lead in the driver standings.
Briton Norris crossed behind Piastri after he recovered from a bad start, while Charles Leclerc of Ferrari was third.
It was the third McLaren one-two of the season and the team's seventh win in nine races, with Piastri taking five of those victories.
World champion Max Verstappen crossed fifth but was dropped to 10th place after he was given a 10-second penalty for colliding with Mercedes' fourth-place finisher George Russell late on.
Piastri's win, which came despite a late safety car, has extended his title advantage over Norris from three points to 10.
'Very hard to complain. It has been a great year,' Piastri said immediately afterwards.
'We executed everything we needed to. I am really enjoying it.
'It was a great weekend overall. The pace was good and we could turn it on when we needed to.
'Good to bounce back from Monaco. It has been a great year and this weekend has been the one I have been after. The team gave me a great car and winning races is a lot of fun.'
Norris said: 'Oscar drove a very good race. I didn't have the pace to match him but I gave it my best shot.'
Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton finished a poor seventh after he was passed by Sauber driver Nico Hulkenberg in the closing stages
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- The Advertiser
Arise Racing GT survives tricky Queensland conditions
The Arise Racing GT team headed to Queensland Raceway last weekend, after the pairing of Jaxon Evans and Elliott Schutte claimed wins in three of the GT World Challenge Australia championship's first four races. And while they didn't add to that tally at the Willowbank circuit, they still have a strong lead in the Pro-Am Driver's Championship. "I think if this is a bad weekend, then it's not so bad," said Schutte after race two. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. "Overall we'll take this weekend and move on." The team's #26 crew took their Ferrari 296 GT3 to a third-place finish in the opening race of the weekend, but could only manage fifth in race two, as uncharacteristically wet weather caught out many drivers in the field, resulting in a disjointed, safety car-filled affair. The team's second entry, the #77 Ferrari, had an eventful weekend that included a major change prior to action getting underway. Jordan Love stepped aside from his usual co-driver seat with Steve Wyatt and was replaced by his brother, Aaron. No stranger to racing, Aaron Love began the season in Supercars and has experience racing in Porsche Carrera Cup in Australia and France. Despite limited time in the Ferrari, Love took little time to adapt and he and Wyatt managed to claim fifth place in the opening race. They then improved in the second race, finishing in fourth, ahead of their teammates. "First weekend done and dusted, second race is done," said Aaron Love. "Second time in the car for myself in dry conditions. It was a heap of fun, managed to snag fastest lap and make up a few positions. "Steve jumped in the car, a good driver swap, popped out second and couldn't quite hold off a few of the cars. A few of the safety cars probably helped us out there and we came home fourth. "A few things went our way and few things didn't go our way, but ultimately it was a good, fun weekend." Evans and Schutte's championship rivals, Brad Schumacher and Broc Feeney, claimed victory in race one and then backed it up with third place in race two. While that closed the gap in the driver's standings, the Arise Racing GT duo still hold a 22-point advantage with three more rounds to run. The team also has a five-point lead in the Team's Championship, as it looks to add to the silverware it claimed in its debut season. The next round of the GT World Challenge Australia series will be at Melbourne's Sandown Raceway on July 25-27. Content originally sourced from: The Arise Racing GT team headed to Queensland Raceway last weekend, after the pairing of Jaxon Evans and Elliott Schutte claimed wins in three of the GT World Challenge Australia championship's first four races. And while they didn't add to that tally at the Willowbank circuit, they still have a strong lead in the Pro-Am Driver's Championship. "I think if this is a bad weekend, then it's not so bad," said Schutte after race two. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. "Overall we'll take this weekend and move on." The team's #26 crew took their Ferrari 296 GT3 to a third-place finish in the opening race of the weekend, but could only manage fifth in race two, as uncharacteristically wet weather caught out many drivers in the field, resulting in a disjointed, safety car-filled affair. The team's second entry, the #77 Ferrari, had an eventful weekend that included a major change prior to action getting underway. Jordan Love stepped aside from his usual co-driver seat with Steve Wyatt and was replaced by his brother, Aaron. No stranger to racing, Aaron Love began the season in Supercars and has experience racing in Porsche Carrera Cup in Australia and France. Despite limited time in the Ferrari, Love took little time to adapt and he and Wyatt managed to claim fifth place in the opening race. They then improved in the second race, finishing in fourth, ahead of their teammates. "First weekend done and dusted, second race is done," said Aaron Love. "Second time in the car for myself in dry conditions. It was a heap of fun, managed to snag fastest lap and make up a few positions. "Steve jumped in the car, a good driver swap, popped out second and couldn't quite hold off a few of the cars. A few of the safety cars probably helped us out there and we came home fourth. "A few things went our way and few things didn't go our way, but ultimately it was a good, fun weekend." Evans and Schutte's championship rivals, Brad Schumacher and Broc Feeney, claimed victory in race one and then backed it up with third place in race two. While that closed the gap in the driver's standings, the Arise Racing GT duo still hold a 22-point advantage with three more rounds to run. The team also has a five-point lead in the Team's Championship, as it looks to add to the silverware it claimed in its debut season. The next round of the GT World Challenge Australia series will be at Melbourne's Sandown Raceway on July 25-27. Content originally sourced from: The Arise Racing GT team headed to Queensland Raceway last weekend, after the pairing of Jaxon Evans and Elliott Schutte claimed wins in three of the GT World Challenge Australia championship's first four races. And while they didn't add to that tally at the Willowbank circuit, they still have a strong lead in the Pro-Am Driver's Championship. "I think if this is a bad weekend, then it's not so bad," said Schutte after race two. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. "Overall we'll take this weekend and move on." The team's #26 crew took their Ferrari 296 GT3 to a third-place finish in the opening race of the weekend, but could only manage fifth in race two, as uncharacteristically wet weather caught out many drivers in the field, resulting in a disjointed, safety car-filled affair. The team's second entry, the #77 Ferrari, had an eventful weekend that included a major change prior to action getting underway. Jordan Love stepped aside from his usual co-driver seat with Steve Wyatt and was replaced by his brother, Aaron. No stranger to racing, Aaron Love began the season in Supercars and has experience racing in Porsche Carrera Cup in Australia and France. Despite limited time in the Ferrari, Love took little time to adapt and he and Wyatt managed to claim fifth place in the opening race. They then improved in the second race, finishing in fourth, ahead of their teammates. "First weekend done and dusted, second race is done," said Aaron Love. "Second time in the car for myself in dry conditions. It was a heap of fun, managed to snag fastest lap and make up a few positions. "Steve jumped in the car, a good driver swap, popped out second and couldn't quite hold off a few of the cars. A few of the safety cars probably helped us out there and we came home fourth. "A few things went our way and few things didn't go our way, but ultimately it was a good, fun weekend." Evans and Schutte's championship rivals, Brad Schumacher and Broc Feeney, claimed victory in race one and then backed it up with third place in race two. While that closed the gap in the driver's standings, the Arise Racing GT duo still hold a 22-point advantage with three more rounds to run. The team also has a five-point lead in the Team's Championship, as it looks to add to the silverware it claimed in its debut season. The next round of the GT World Challenge Australia series will be at Melbourne's Sandown Raceway on July 25-27. Content originally sourced from: The Arise Racing GT team headed to Queensland Raceway last weekend, after the pairing of Jaxon Evans and Elliott Schutte claimed wins in three of the GT World Challenge Australia championship's first four races. And while they didn't add to that tally at the Willowbank circuit, they still have a strong lead in the Pro-Am Driver's Championship. "I think if this is a bad weekend, then it's not so bad," said Schutte after race two. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. "Overall we'll take this weekend and move on." The team's #26 crew took their Ferrari 296 GT3 to a third-place finish in the opening race of the weekend, but could only manage fifth in race two, as uncharacteristically wet weather caught out many drivers in the field, resulting in a disjointed, safety car-filled affair. The team's second entry, the #77 Ferrari, had an eventful weekend that included a major change prior to action getting underway. Jordan Love stepped aside from his usual co-driver seat with Steve Wyatt and was replaced by his brother, Aaron. No stranger to racing, Aaron Love began the season in Supercars and has experience racing in Porsche Carrera Cup in Australia and France. Despite limited time in the Ferrari, Love took little time to adapt and he and Wyatt managed to claim fifth place in the opening race. They then improved in the second race, finishing in fourth, ahead of their teammates. "First weekend done and dusted, second race is done," said Aaron Love. "Second time in the car for myself in dry conditions. It was a heap of fun, managed to snag fastest lap and make up a few positions. "Steve jumped in the car, a good driver swap, popped out second and couldn't quite hold off a few of the cars. A few of the safety cars probably helped us out there and we came home fourth. "A few things went our way and few things didn't go our way, but ultimately it was a good, fun weekend." Evans and Schutte's championship rivals, Brad Schumacher and Broc Feeney, claimed victory in race one and then backed it up with third place in race two. While that closed the gap in the driver's standings, the Arise Racing GT duo still hold a 22-point advantage with three more rounds to run. The team also has a five-point lead in the Team's Championship, as it looks to add to the silverware it claimed in its debut season. The next round of the GT World Challenge Australia series will be at Melbourne's Sandown Raceway on July 25-27. Content originally sourced from:
The Age
3 hours ago
- The Age
He's already Australia's biggest sports earner, now Oscar Piastri is climbing another list
'Success helps people shift up in their marketability. And then it's about how do you make hay while the sun shines and your and your marketability is high?' Berry said. 'For brands, it's about how do you try and identify people on the way up ... [which] is much more affordable and appealing than having to wait until they have ultimate success … when the fees that they would charge would be astronomical.' Piastri, who claimed a fifth grand prix win for the season in Spain at the weekend, inked a deal worth $41 million a year with McLaren in March, first reported in the Daily Mail UK and according to the Australian Financial Review. It was the seventh win of the Melburnian's Formula 1 career, and he leads the championship race by 10 points to his McLaren teammate Lando Norris. Formula 1 contracts often also include bonuses for podium finishes or wins, the amount of which varies depending on the driver's agreement with their team. Forbes Australia estimates Piastri made more than $17 million in bonuses last year. Piastri's lucrative new deal, which will extend beyond 2026, rocketed him to the title of highest-paid Australian sports star, and bonuses from his five wins for the season will push him even further above the second highest-paid, the NFL's Jordan Mailata. The Philadelphia Eagles offensive tackle, who last year was the first Australian to play in a Super Bowl victory, earns $24 million a season, which will jump to $33 million from 2026 after signing a three-year contract extension. Piastri's spot at the top of the table was, until last year, held by NBA player Ben Simmons, who came to the end of his Brooklyn Nets contract worth more than $63 million-per-year. He signed with the Los Angeles Clippers in February for $1.7 million per season, according to Fox Sports, following years of injury and underperformance. The NBA is a boon for Australian athletes, with many of the nation's highest-paid stars playing basketball in the United States, including Josh Green, Matisse Thybulle, Dyson Daniels and Josh Giddey. Giddey is in the midst of contract negotiations, and veteran NBA reporter Brian Windhorst has speculated he could re-sign with the Chicago Bulls for about $47 million – a number that would see the 22-year-old surpass Piastri for the biggest annual salary (excluding bonuses and endorsements). 'The going rate for a starting point guard in the NBA is around $30 million [$A46.8 million],' Windhorst told ESPN, pointing to Immanuel Quickley on about $50 million a year. 'I'm sure Josh Giddey's hoping for something like that.' Australia's domestic sports stars pale in comparison, despite earning more than ever. In 2024, 10 AFL players pocketed salaries of at least $1.2 million, with the likes of Richmond's Tom Lynch, Melbourne's Christian Petracca and Western Bulldogs skipper Marcus Bontempelli among the top earners this year. In the NRL, Kalyn Ponga, Nathan Cleary and Cameron Munster are reportedly among the highest earners, around the $1.3-$1.4 million mark. Professor of International Sport Business at Victoria University Hans Westerbeek said sports such as Formula 1 and NBA were the most lucrative because of their broad, global popularity. 'It's a very basic, simple marketing principle that the more eyeballs you attract, the more valuable the property is that attracts those eyeballs,' he said. He said performance was crucial but a sports personality's narrative power could also give them an advantage when negotiating deals. 'There's one very big factor that drives the value up beyond their performance, and that is their ability to tell stories, to create a story about not only those 90 minutes on the racetrack, or four quarters on a football field, but everything that happens before, during and after,' he said. 'When you're top of your discipline or top of your sport, your inherent value is higher than those who do not get onto the podium. Having said that, there's an increasing number of athletes who may never win an Olympic medal but still make a very healthy income because of the stories that they ... very strategically narrate on different social media platforms or in direct production with their management companies.' He pointed to the meteoric rise of Australian sprint sensation Gout Gout as an example of how an athlete who captured the public's attention was quickly snapped up by brands. The 17-year-old signed an estimated $6 million deal with adidas last year. 'It has this great story of a kid who suddenly is there and rivals one of the greatest of all time [Usain Bolt], and how quickly companies then jump on the bandwagon to sign him before he becomes too expensive,' Westerbeek said. Australian golfer Cameron Smith is also on the rich list, his deal to join the Saudi-backed LIV Golf League reportedly topping nine figures. LIV contracts are usually excluded from salary estimations because the number of years the deals span is unknown, meaning it is possible Smith is earning more than Piastri on an annual basis. Loading '[LIV] is a league fully owned by companies that directly associate with the government of Saudi Arabia, and it's very much a disrupter in what has been a very traditional sport. The Saudis have done this because they know what kind of influence a platform like golf, or F1 for that matter, has in it, in order for them to have some kind of power base in global sport,' Westerbeek said. Gemba's Berry said Netflix's Drive to Survive series had broadened the popularity of motorsport, but Piastri's on- track success had helped him climb the most marketable list above the other 263 Australian athletes the organisation tracked. In 2023, when Matildas fever swept the nation as Australia co-hosted the FIFA Women's World Cup, the most marketable athletes were Sam Kerr, Ash Barty, Daniel Ricciardo and Nick Kyrgios. Loading Berry said Ricciardo's reach was what made him more marketable compared to Piastri, for now, despite the fact he no longer competes in Formula 1. 'Obviously, where they are in their journeys is very different. Oscar's still at the start of his F1 journey … whereas Daniel is at the other end. Oscar's reach is growing, whereas Daniel's is stable.'
Sydney Morning Herald
3 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
He's already Australia's biggest sports earner, now Oscar Piastri is climbing another list
'Success helps people shift up in their marketability. And then it's about how do you make hay while the sun shines and your and your marketability is high?' Berry said. 'For brands, it's about how do you try and identify people on the way up ... [which] is much more affordable and appealing than having to wait until they have ultimate success … when the fees that they would charge would be astronomical.' Piastri, who claimed a fifth grand prix win for the season in Spain at the weekend, inked a deal worth $41 million a year with McLaren in March, first reported in the Daily Mail UK and according to the Australian Financial Review. It was the seventh win of the Melburnian's Formula 1 career, and he leads the championship race by 10 points to his McLaren teammate Lando Norris. Formula 1 contracts often also include bonuses for podium finishes or wins, the amount of which varies depending on the driver's agreement with their team. Forbes Australia estimates Piastri made more than $17 million in bonuses last year. Piastri's lucrative new deal, which will extend beyond 2026, rocketed him to the title of highest-paid Australian sports star, and bonuses from his five wins for the season will push him even further above the second highest-paid, the NFL's Jordan Mailata. The Philadelphia Eagles offensive tackle, who last year was the first Australian to play in a Super Bowl victory, earns $24 million a season, which will jump to $33 million from 2026 after signing a three-year contract extension. Piastri's spot at the top of the table was, until last year, held by NBA player Ben Simmons, who came to the end of his Brooklyn Nets contract worth more than $63 million-per-year. He signed with the Los Angeles Clippers in February for $1.7 million per season, according to Fox Sports, following years of injury and underperformance. The NBA is a boon for Australian athletes, with many of the nation's highest-paid stars playing basketball in the United States, including Josh Green, Matisse Thybulle, Dyson Daniels and Josh Giddey. Giddey is in the midst of contract negotiations, and veteran NBA reporter Brian Windhorst has speculated he could re-sign with the Chicago Bulls for about $47 million – a number that would see the 22-year-old surpass Piastri for the biggest annual salary (excluding bonuses and endorsements). 'The going rate for a starting point guard in the NBA is around $30 million [$A46.8 million],' Windhorst told ESPN, pointing to Immanuel Quickley on about $50 million a year. 'I'm sure Josh Giddey's hoping for something like that.' Australia's domestic sports stars pale in comparison, despite earning more than ever. In 2024, 10 AFL players pocketed salaries of at least $1.2 million, with the likes of Richmond's Tom Lynch, Melbourne's Christian Petracca and Western Bulldogs skipper Marcus Bontempelli among the top earners this year. In the NRL, Kalyn Ponga, Nathan Cleary and Cameron Munster are reportedly among the highest earners, around the $1.3-$1.4 million mark. Professor of International Sport Business at Victoria University Hans Westerbeek said sports such as Formula 1 and NBA were the most lucrative because of their broad, global popularity. 'It's a very basic, simple marketing principle that the more eyeballs you attract, the more valuable the property is that attracts those eyeballs,' he said. He said performance was crucial but a sports personality's narrative power could also give them an advantage when negotiating deals. 'There's one very big factor that drives the value up beyond their performance, and that is their ability to tell stories, to create a story about not only those 90 minutes on the racetrack, or four quarters on a football field, but everything that happens before, during and after,' he said. 'When you're top of your discipline or top of your sport, your inherent value is higher than those who do not get onto the podium. Having said that, there's an increasing number of athletes who may never win an Olympic medal but still make a very healthy income because of the stories that they ... very strategically narrate on different social media platforms or in direct production with their management companies.' He pointed to the meteoric rise of Australian sprint sensation Gout Gout as an example of how an athlete who captured the public's attention was quickly snapped up by brands. The 17-year-old signed an estimated $6 million deal with adidas last year. 'It has this great story of a kid who suddenly is there and rivals one of the greatest of all time [Usain Bolt], and how quickly companies then jump on the bandwagon to sign him before he becomes too expensive,' Westerbeek said. Australian golfer Cameron Smith is also on the rich list, his deal to join the Saudi-backed LIV Golf League reportedly topping nine figures. LIV contracts are usually excluded from salary estimations because the number of years the deals span is unknown, meaning it is possible Smith is earning more than Piastri on an annual basis. Loading '[LIV] is a league fully owned by companies that directly associate with the government of Saudi Arabia, and it's very much a disrupter in what has been a very traditional sport. The Saudis have done this because they know what kind of influence a platform like golf, or F1 for that matter, has in it, in order for them to have some kind of power base in global sport,' Westerbeek said. Gemba's Berry said Netflix's Drive to Survive series had broadened the popularity of motorsport, but Piastri's on- track success had helped him climb the most marketable list above the other 263 Australian athletes the organisation tracked. In 2023, when Matildas fever swept the nation as Australia co-hosted the FIFA Women's World Cup, the most marketable athletes were Sam Kerr, Ash Barty, Daniel Ricciardo and Nick Kyrgios. Loading Berry said Ricciardo's reach was what made him more marketable compared to Piastri, for now, despite the fact he no longer competes in Formula 1. 'Obviously, where they are in their journeys is very different. Oscar's still at the start of his F1 journey … whereas Daniel is at the other end. Oscar's reach is growing, whereas Daniel's is stable.'
