Oscar Piastri delivered some outstanding performances on the track in the 2023 season with McLaren.However, apart from his racing career, not much was known about his life off the F1 circuit. But thanks to a revealing interview on Dax Shepard’s Eff Won podcast, we got a peek behind the scenes of Piastri’s journey to F1 stardom, one that involves massive support from his parents, especially his father Chris Piastri.

Oscar’s father, Chris Piastri hails from Melbourne, Australia, with a background in engineering and software development. His entrepreneurial spirit shines through as the co-owner of a thriving automotive hardware and software development company, HP Tuners. A tech company with a market cap of a staggering $35 billion has been known for its VCM Suite and MPVI products since 2003.

With his father running a successful automotive software development company it was no surprise that his son found his love for cars at an early age. In an interview with The Sydney Morning Herald in 2o21, Chris recalled, “Oscar’s bedtime stories were mainly car books. He could recite how quick cars were, the horsepower, how much speed they had.”

HP Tuners goes beyond just tuning solutions. They offer additional tools like the TrackAddict app and RaceRender software for capturing and analyzing track day experiences. For diesel enthusiasts, their Switch on the Fly software allows for quick transitions between custom maps, while the OBDII Adapter Cable opens up tuning possibilities for sports vehicles.

Being so closely attached to cars and how they worked, meant Chris provided his son with his first taste of a racing car and there was no looking back. An overseas purchase changed his son’s life forever.

Chris Piastri helped shape Oscar Piastri’s Formula 1 career

“We bought remote-controlled cars when I was on a business trip in America and Oscar took to that incredibly. He started racing them and got third place in his first-ever event against 20 and 30-year-olds when he was just six,” Chris revealed to The Sydney Morning Herald. By nine he had moved to go-karts.

This early exposure ignited a passion within Piastri, setting him down the path of racing at the highest level. Despite his early fascination with racing, Piastri faced some hurdles along the way, including parental restrictions on watching Formula 1 races.

Growing up in Melbourne, where races were often broadcast in the early hours of Monday morning, Oscar Piastri’s parents insisted he prioritize his school schedule over his passion for F1. However, Oscar’s dream of racing in Formula 1 ultimately won his parents over. During his conversation with Dax Shepard, Piastri shed light on the role his father played in shaping his F1 career. The Aussie shared that his father’s background in both mechanics and technology served as a catalyst for his own passion for racing.

Still, the challenge of going from remote-controlled racing to go-karting wasn’t an easy one. Apart from the difficulty in skill set, financial requirements meant, Chris had to back his son heavily to help him realize his dream.

“At that time you could probably spend $50,000 a year. But a great deal of that is travel, fuel, flights, accommodation, the time commitment,” Chris added. Back then he estimated the cost to be around half a million dollars. The next step was Formula 4, where the cost of a car alone is $50,000 and seasonal running costs are estimated at between $130,000 to $150,000 at the bottom end.

The investment from Chris continued when his son made the move to Formula Renault. He revealed that the two seasons for Oscar in Formula Renault cost about $1.2 million. Formula 3 was beckoning and again Chris had to pump money and with the help of some funding he was able to invest another $1 million.

By the time, Oscar reached F1, the total spend on him by his father totaled roughly $6.5 million.

With a family history rooted in the automotive industry, coupled with his father’s affinity for computers, Piastri found himself drawn to the world of motorsport. “So my mom’s dad and my dad’s dad were both mechanics as their job so there was always a passion for cars. Plus my dad always liked computers and stuff growing up. Put computers and cars together, and you basically get HP Tuners. So, yeah, and that’s how I kind of got into racing as well,” said Oscar Piastri.

Oscar Piastri’s mother, Nicole Piastri, is primarily a homemaker, but shares her husband’s passion for cars and driving, owning a collection of vintage automobiles. Her steadfast encouragement and emotional support for Oscar provide a nurturing environment to navigate the challenges of professional racing.

A significant investment from his father allowed him to pursue his racing dreams. Piastri’s natural talent behind the wheel, coupled with his undying pursuit of excellence, led him to success in various racing championships. From national-level racing cars to Formula 3000, Formula 2, and Euro Cup championships.

Chris Piastri continues to support Oscar through HP Tuners sponsorship

HP Tuners, Oscar’s longtime sponsor and ally has always supported his dream of racing. Since his early days on kart circuits as a youngster, Oscar’s rise to the highest level of motorsport has been fueled by the backing of HP Tuners. This partnership, based on shared values of achieving excellence, sees Oscar Piastri through his dreams, with HP Tuners pledging to continue their support into the 2024 Formula 1 season and beyond.

Keith Prociuk, CEO and co-founder of HP Tuners, expressed his admiration for Piastri’s accomplishments, noting, “We are extremely proud to see Oscar achieve his dream of racing in Formula 1. It is a great testament to his focused determination, skill, hard work, and dedication that he has made it to the highest level.”

What’s your take on Chris Piastri backing his son’s trajectory in F1? Share in the comments down below.