Piastri for second time Rookie of the Year: 'Hopefully the last time!'

Going up against an experienced teammate in your debut season is never easy, but Oscar Piastri held his own alongside Lando Norris in his first Formula 1 season at McLaren. It earned him the Rookie of the Year award at the FIA gala in Baku.

Piastri Rookie of the Year

McLaren had a tough start to the F1 season, but recovered during the year by coming up with some well-performing updates. Not only Norris but Piastri also got on fine with the latest developments to the MCL60, and he even managed to beat Max Verstappen in the sprint race before the Qatar Grand Prix, where Verstappen secured his third world title.

His strong debut season in the premier class was rewarded with the rookie of the year award on Friday night. After receiving his award, Piastri said he hopes McLaren can continue its strong line of late into 2024.

"If we can start next year how we've finished this season then we'll be in good shape," said Piastri, who has won the Rookie of the Year award before with his rock-solid debut in Formula 2 in 2021. "It's been a massive team effort. Big turnaround. I enjoyed my rookie season in F1 a lot. Hopefully it's the last rookie season of my career. Enjoyed a lot and looking forward to what's to come."