Mark Webber and his wife Ann Neal have been guiding World Championship leader Oscar Piastri since 2017, although the former racer claims he never intended to manage any driver. However, a series of circumstances led to the collaboration with Piastri.
As an Australian, Webber knew that Piastri was a young, talented compatriot. They happened to come into contact through a mutual acquaintance. “My former physiotherapist was working with Oscar, who was then racing in Formula 4. Ann and I had no ambition to manage drivers, but Oscar’s father asked us if we could help guide Oscar through the feeder series with good guidance,” Webber explains.
Sharing Knowledge and Experience
And so it happened, and the Webber-Piastri collaboration now runs like a well-oiled machine. “Oscar is himself, incredibly talented, and he has his own way of working and living,” says Webber, himself a nine-time GP winner. “I can share my knowledge and experience with him. Not only from what I saw and experienced, but also because I have been close to Sebastian Vettel, Lewis Hamilton, and Fernando Alonso. If I see an opportunity to help Oscar with my knowledge, I will certainly do so.”
Webber is impressed by Piastri’s calmness and composure. He believes this stems from the self-confidence that the young McLaren driver, the current leader in the World Championship standings, possesses. “He doesn’t get carried away. And he knows what his ambition is. Oscar is at the beginning of, what we believe, a long and successful career.”
