Oscar Piastri, the 24-year-old Australian Formula 1 driver and current world championship leader, shared how an unexpected message from Sebastian Vettel caught him off guard following his first F1 win. The moment took place after Piastri’s landmark victory at the 2024 Hungarian Grand Prix, marking a major milestone in his career.

Piastri admitted the communication from Vettel was surprising as they had not met or spoken before the race. He described it as a gesture of support from the experienced four-time world champion, who empathized by sharing his own feelings about achieving that initial win in Formula 1.

That was a bit unexpected because I had not really spoken or met Seb before that,

Piastri reflected in a video released on the McLaren YouTube channel. He added,

“[It was] kind of sharing his experience of what his first win felt like.”

Besides Vettel’s message, Piastri also received warm congratulations from various other drivers, which added to the sense of accomplishment.

There wasn’t anyone massively unexpected but from a lot of other drivers, which was really nice.

Details of Piastri’s first F1 win and race dynamics at the Hungarian Grand Prix

Piastri made history as the fifth Australian to claim a Formula 1 Grand Prix victory during the 2024 Hungarian Grand Prix. The race featured a tense McLaren one-two finish, with Piastri narrowly beating his teammate Lando Norris, who had been his closest rival throughout the event.

The race saw a remarkable start from Piastri who took the lead at the very first corner, Turn 1. Although strategic calls momentarily placed Norris ahead, team orders eventually ensured Piastri regained the top spot with just five laps remaining, amid some frustration from Norris but sealing the win for the Melbourne-born driver.

Emotional aftermath and personal reflections on the first major victory

Reflecting on the emotions following his first Formula 1 win, Piastri said the experience was a mix of pride and relief, recognizing the years of effort and sacrifices that had gone into reaching this point in his career.

Afterwards there was a sense of pride, but also a sense of relief,

he said.

Obviously a lot of hard work and sacrifice in some ways to get to that point, so that was really really special.

Despite the immediate thrill after the race, Piastri said the full reality of his achievement only truly dawned on him the next morning, when he woke up and accepted that he was officially a Formula 1 race winner.

I think the morning after the first time I stood on top of an F1 podium was a pretty cool moment where I woke up and could go ‘I’m an F1 winner now’,

he explained.

He described how the initial hours post-race felt surreal amidst interviews, articles, and social media engagement, adding,

So it kind of sunk in a bit more as time went on.

National pride and fan support during and after the Hungarian GP win

Piastri said the win was particularly meaningful for Australian fans both at the race venue and back home. He recalled the abundance of Australian flags present that weekend and the special feeling of hearing the national anthem play on the podium.

It’s always nice hearing the Australian anthem and I feel like there’s at least a few Aussies pretty much everywhere we go which is always nice,

he remarked.

He recounted the late timing of the race for Australian viewers, noting die-hard fans and his family stayed awake late into the night, while the broader public woke to the news the following morning. This created two waves of celebration for him.

That was nice that I got to relive it twice a little bit.

Mementos from the historic weekend and reflections on the modest celebration

While the original race trophy remains with McLaren, Piastri keeps a replica at home alongside sentimental items from the grand prix weekend. These include a five-euro note gifted to him before the race and the race-used helmet, which he has never worn again.

For those that remember, I got given a five euro note on, I think, on the Thursday or the Friday of the weekend, which was quite a cool moment,

he shared.

I never used that helmet again. So I have the helmet from that race weekend as it finished the race, the replica trophy and the five euro note.

His victory celebration was quieter than many might expect for such a milestone, as Piastri faced travel delays and arrived home only in the early hours of the morning.

I didn’t have a very exciting celebration,

Piastri said. He described flying back with fellow drivers Lando Norris, Alex Albon, and Jack Doohan, experiencing a delay that extended their journey to a three-hour drive after landing at an alternative airport.

Despite the uneventful end to the day, he lightheartedly mentioned,

I did play Monopoly… so that was exciting!

Personal growth and future ambitions after achieving a lifelong dream

Piastri emphasized the weekend was as much about personal and professional growth as it was about fulfilling a childhood ambition. Comparing his performance at the 2024 Hungarian GP to the previous year, he expressed satisfaction with the progress made.

I think probably the biggest thing from that weekend was firstly, ticking off a dream of mine and a goal of trying to win a Formula 1 race, but also, I guess away from that, just that it was a really good weekend,

Piastri noted.

Especially when I compare it back to Hungary in 2023. I was also very proud of the fact that the improvement that I’d made from year to year.

So that’s kind of one of the big things I took from that weekend, and just ticking off a dream that I’d had since a kid.

Looking ahead: returning to Hungary as championship leader with more victories

Returning to the Hungarian Grand Prix in 2025, Piastri comes back with seven additional wins, six of which were secured in the ongoing season, establishing him as the world championship leader, 16 points ahead of Norris.

He expressed eagerness for the upcoming weekend, ready to focus on replicating his winning form amid the pressure of leading the title race.

It’s going to be cool going back to the scene of my first F1 win,

Piastri said.

But I’m sure once I’m there, I’m going to be very much focused on how I can try and win again, as you try and do every weekend.

Once the on track action starts, it’s going to be about how we can try and repeat that result.