MOTORSPORT: Aussie stars in F2

Aussie youngster Oscar Piastri showed he is a serious contender for the 2021 FIA Formula 2 championship at the season-opener in Bahrain overnight.

The Melbourne teenager, who is being groomed for F1 by Renault, was an unexpected star across the three-race weekend in the desert, scoring his first F2 win and leading for much of the feature race.

Piastri was predicted to take time to settle into the series, despite arriving as the reigning FIA Formula 3 champion, because F2 cars are hard to drive with temperamental Pirelli tyres, and he was up against a rough bunch of second-year racers.

He opened his F2 campaign with a solid fifth place in the first of two sprint races, then broke through for victory, before leading for much of the feature race.

Piastri was eventually sidelined after contact with aggressive British driver Dan Ticktum while defending a potential podium within sight of the finish.

The race produced various tactics, as drivers have to use both hard- and soft-compound tyres, and Piastri led on softs before being forced onto the slower tyres in the second half of the race.

“Tough race in the end. Until the contact with Ticktum, it had been an awesome race, with mega pace on the softs,” Piastri said.

“Even with the hards, we were sticking in there. I could see that the two drivers in front were starting to fall back towards me and, at the same time, the people behind were catching up.

“I was trying to stay in third to try and fight for the win at the end, but just wasn't meant to be today.".

But Piastri still sits fourth on the F2 table and can celebrate his breakthrough win with the Prema Racing team.

“That has to be the craziest race win I’ve ever had in my life,” said Piastri.