In a new feature series, designed to give you a unique look into Oscar’s life away from the track and insight into his racing background and passion, OP tackles a range of topics to allow you to get to know the 22-year-old Aussie behind the visor.

In this first instalment, we talk TV, travel, tech disasters and much more…

Any good in the kitchen, Oscar?

I can make a mean Penne Bolognese and my Chicken Parmigiana isn’t bad either. I actually enjoy cooking but seem to have had my fair share of kitchen disasters. What I produce is usually edible although I once had an ordeal with sweet potatoes where they ended up being moderately to heavily burnt. In my opinion, I still salvaged a few that were passable but I get reminded about that rather often.

Also, when I moved into one of my old flats, I went to heat up the oven, which had supposedly been cleaned. I started cutting something up on the worktop and suddenly, my eyes were stinging and there was a funny smell. The previous tenants had obviously left some food in the back of the oven and so, I had to get waving the tea towel around fast to clear the smoke.

What’s on your telly?

I love a Netflix binge. I’m all or nothing though so if I get watching something, I will be there for hours until I’ve watched the whole series.

My girlfriend and I have watched some great series recently. Slow Horses was excellent and totally gripping. We’ve watched The Night Agent which I highly recommend, and we also loved The Last Dance, Narcos, Suits and Ozark.

In general, I’m a big fan of a spy thriller, whether that’s TV or cinema. We’re also fans of comedy films like The Gentlemen and Talladega Nights and I can also get hooked by true-life documentaries on real-world stuff as I think they are always interesting.

Any bad habits?

I don’t think I’m too bad. I’ll be the first to admit that my flat can get a bit messy at times. Sometimes, with the all the travel, my suitcase can stay flung open on the bedroom floor for a while.

Not sure if they count as bad habits, but I also love my sleep so I do like to lie-in and my guilty pleasure food-wise is definitely chocolate.

Had any tech or DIY disasters?

When I was building the sim in my old flat, it came with no instructions. I put 95% of it together when I realised that I had missed a part in the early stages. I ended up having to take it all apart and rebuild it all over again.

I also put up some blackout blinds over the window to deal with the time zones I was on to try and get some sleep. We stuck the blackout blinds to the wall with some sticky pads but when we took them down, we ripped half the paint off the wall. Needless to say, I had to do a bit of sweet talking with the landlord when I left.

Top travel destination?

I’m fortunate that I’ve been able to travel with my racing. I’ve seen a lot of Europe and ticked off a lot of great places. The destination that springs to mind immediately is Noosa in Queensland, Australia which I would say is up there. It has an amazing beach, top restaurants, superb sea and the views are insane.

I’m also a big fan of Croatia. That has fab weather too and the food is excellent. The Maldives is certainly somewhere that I’d like to go to one day, so when I get some time, I think I may head there.

Biggest celebrity encounter?

I’ve met David Beckham at a racetrack once which was cool and I’ve also met Zinedine Zidane. When I was a lot smaller, I got to meet the Australian cricketer Ricky Ponting, who was someone that I loved watching bat and captain the national side.

I think the two sportsmen I’d love to meet one day are LeBron James and Michael Jordan. They are both iconic and have pushed the boundaries.

Finally, what is the set-up in the new flat?

I’ve had to buy some furniture as my previous flat was furnished, so I’ve bought a new sofa, bed, dining room table, chairs and TV cabinet. The most recent addition is a shoe rack which is a present that has come in very handy.

The only things I really had before are cutlery, crockery, my air fryer that I use all the time and my speakers.

I haven’t exactly made it my own yet but I’ve got a couple of posters and framed photos that are currently on the floor that I am going to put up. Overall, it’s pretty low key as my style is fairly minimalist.