Australia’s teenage racing driver prodigy Oscar Piastri is targeting the Formula 3 title in 2020 and is unfazed by the prospect of racing behind closed doors in Bahrain next week.
Piastri became the first Aussie to win the Formula Renault Eurocup title in November 2019 and has since joined the Renault Sports Academy.
The 18-year-old will now compete in the nine-round 2020 FIA Formula 3 Championship, with the season-opening race taking place on the undercard of the Bahrain Formula One Grand Prix on March 22.
“Ideally I’d like to win the Championship,” Piastri told AAP.
“I don’t think there’s any reason why I can’t. I would say I’m in one of the best, if not the best, seats on the grid. Coming off last year’s success, I proved to myself that I can push for a Championship this year.”
Both the F1 and the F3 races at the Sakhir circuit in Bahrain will go ahead behind closed doors due to fears over the coronavirus, with 83 cases of the virus already confirmed in the country.
Piastri, who is mentored by Formula One legend Mark Webber and will race with last year’s title-winning Prema Racing team, says the lack of spectators won’t affect him.
“It doesn’t change anything for me on the track. We’ll probably lose a bit of the atmosphere but to be honest, I don’t really know how many fans would be at the Grand Prix anyway.
“It’s going to be a bit like a test day, but for bragging rights, so it’s probably going to be a little bit strange. I’m sure once I’ve got the helmet on and I’m on the grid it will feel pretty normal.”
Piastri will make his first official appearance for Renault Australia and the Renault F1 Team at the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne this week, but isn’t racing in the event.