The third round of the 2023 F1 World Championship sees Oscar return to very familiar surroundings. It’s his home race in his old back yard! Here’s everything you need to know ahead of a special weekend for Oscar on his Australian Grand Prix debut.

• Oscar grew up in the Melbourne suburb of Brighton, approximately 10km to the south of Albert Park
• He lived in Melbourne up until the age of 14 before moving to the UK to pursue his dream of reaching Formula One
• His local karting track was Oakleigh Racing Club. He joined there as a 10-year-old in 2011 and won their Junior Club Championship in 2014. He has also done a lot of laps around Todd Road kart track nearer the centre of Melbourne which has amazing views of the whole city skyline
• Oscar has never raced around Albert Park in his career so FP1 will be the first time he takes on the park circuit on 4 wheels
• The 2023 edition will be the 86th running of the Australian Grand Prix and the 26th time that F1 has raced at Albert Park
• The race will feature 58 laps of the 5.3km circuit and is comprised of 16 corners (10 right and six left turns)
• There is anticipated to be circa 450,000 fans entering the gates at Albert Park over the course of the four days

On his home grand prix…

“I can’t wait to experience the atmosphere and take it all in. It is going to be a super special feeling to race in my home city and I know there is going to be an amazing buzz in Melbourne that will only ramp up, the closer we get to the weekend.

As soon as the calendar came out, this is one that I immediately looked out for and I am really looking forward to it. I’m a proud Australian and it carries real meaning for me to be returning here as an F1 driver.”

On the home support…

“I’ve received some incredible messages from fans wishing me all the best for my debut Australian Grand Prix and I can’t stress how thankful I am for all the support and backing that I receive.

I got a taste of it last season as a reserve driver and was blown away by the reception from the fans and their passion for the event.

I’m sure this year is going to be no different and I’m looking forward to meeting and interacting with everyone when I get a chance.”

On familiar territory…

“I grew up in the suburbs of Melbourne about 10km from the track. When I was little, I could hear the F1 races from my family home and so, even just the thought of the grand prix here brings back a lot of special memories.

My first visit to the grand prix came in 2015 when I was selected to be a grid kid for Daniil Kvyat. Unfortunately, he broke down on the formation lap so I didn’t actually get a chance to meet him.”

On Albert Park…

“It’s a temporary circuit so it can take a while to rubber in. That said, it’s awesome there’s a lot of support categories so, in a way, we’re all helping one another to make the track even better grip-wise.

After Jeddah, it’s also another very fast track. The weather can be temperamental too so it could be an interesting one. I’m ready for the challenge.”