FIA Formula 3 Champion and current F2 PREMA and Alpine Acadamy driver Oscar Piastri aim’s to build on his opening-round win in Bahrain with a title challenge and push for an F1 seat next year.

The Formula 2 rookie has declared his intention to join Daniel Ricciardo in Formula 1 asap.

The 20-year-old from Melbourne is managed and mentored by Australian racing legend Mark Webber, Piastri told Fox Sports that his ambitions to spend two years racing on the second tier had changed.

“I think I’m definitely going to be pushing to try and get there next year,”

“With the beginning of the year we’ve had, I think we can definitely set our sights towards the championship now.

“I think we showed at Round 1 that we can definitely fight at the front and fight for the title, so the sooner I can get to F1 the better in my eyes.

“If it doesn’t happen for next year, which is no easy task, I definitely think I can do it after two years of F2. That was the initial plan.”

Piastri will take one race at a time but his ambitions will see him want to progress again year on year.

“There’s not a whole heap of pressure to move up after this year. But with the momentum I have, two world championships in a row, if I can get a third, that would help my prospects I would think.”

Piastri will next race in Monaco, where Webber won twice. Follow InsideF2.com and our coverage through the entire race week from 20th May.

Credit: foxsports.com.au