Watch: Millionaire F1 driver Oscar Piastri makes an appearance on the 2025 Australian Open live telecast

McLaren driver Oscar Piastri recently marked his presence at the 2025 Australian Open tournament. He attended the tennis event with his girlfriend, Lily Zneimer, and was captured on the big screen during the live telecast on Friday (January 24).

Piastri, a 23-year-old F1 racing driver, joined McLaren in 2023 as a rookie. He finished P9 in the drivers championship with a total of 97 points. However, in 2024, he had a bigger role to play. The Papaya team unleashed the fastest car on the grid with timely upgrades, challenging Red Bull head-on.

While Lando Norris fought with Max Verstappen for the drivers title, Piastri followed team orders to stay ahead in the constructors race. Eventually, McLaren edged past Ferrari to clinch their first team championship since 1998.

Meanwhile, ahead of a critical 2025 season, Oscar Piastri is enjoying the leisure time in the off-season to explore other sports.

The cameraman of the live telecast channel panned the camera on him during the Australian Open men's semifinal match between Jannik Sinner and Ben Shelton. The millionaire F1 driver quickly realized that he was on screen and burst into a wide smile.

You can watch it here:

Oscar Piastri is an Australian native and is an avid sports lover. He previously attended the Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test match between India and Australia held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) and cheered for his home team.

Meanwhile, Piastri is approaching a crucial season with McLaren in 2025. He no longer wishes to follow team orders and instead fight for the championship. On the other hand, Lando Norris will likely aim to accomplish the unfinished business. Hence, the Papaya team might have a tough time dealing with the dynamics of the drivers' lineup.

McLaren, though, has an edge as they are going with the same lineup. The grid has gone through significant change, with many new faces likely to make their debut this year.

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When former F1 driver tipped Oscar Piastri as 'driver to prove most' in 2025 season

Oscar Piastri [L] with Lando Norris [R] (Image Source: Getty)

Oscar Piastri finished P4 in the drivers championship in the 2024 season with 292 points. He won two races and clinched six additional podium finishes. However, despite a strong season, former F1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya stated that Piastri has to prove himself in the forthcoming season.

In a conversation with LuckyBlock last December, Montoya said (via Motorsportweek):

“Oscar Piastri is the driver with the most to prove next season. I really expected him to step up this year, and I am a little surprised he didn’t. I really felt that this year he would be better than Lando, but Lando took a massive step forward, and Oscar didn’t.”

Piastri struggled to beat Lando Norris in the qualifying session last year. Hence, starting most races from mid-field, the Australian driver often found himself following team orders. However, the 2025 season is likely to offer him an opportunity to prove that he is championship-winning material.