The 23-year-old revealed he looks up to 23-time Olympic gold medallist Michael Phelps, not just for his success, but for the discipline and longevity he hopes to emulate in his own Formula 1 career.
“I still remember watching the Olympics where he won eight gold medals,” Piastri said in a feature on the official McLaren website.
“He won a gold medal in every event he competed in. For me, it’s how dedicated he was.
“I saw an interview where he said he went swimming every single day between one Olympics to the next. That’s him being in a pool every day for four years – that’s commitment if nothing else.”
Piastri also mentioned NBA legend and two-time Olympic gold medalist Michael Jordan as another athlete he draws inspiration from.
“I think it’s along the same lines as Michael Jordan, in terms of his commitment to it,” he added. “Having that dedication to try and be the best, and then obviously the success that goes with that.
“I think this is a very mainstream pick, but for a reason. The work ethic that he had, and his mentality of letting nothing stop him in pursuit of trying to be the best in his sport.
“He was also competing in a team sport, trying to make his team the best it could be.
“He won championships in the NBA, and then he went and played baseball for a couple of years… he then went back to the NBA and was just as good, if not even better.
“To be so committed to one sport your whole life, and then go and play something else and be fully committed to that, and then to come back to basketball and win even more championships, that is a pretty cool story.
“It isn’t the fact that he went from one sport to another, but the way he did it, and his mentality of trying to be the best at every sport.”
Piastri heads into the Canadian Grand Prix leading the drivers’ championship by 10 points over McLaren teammate Lando Norris, and said he’s hoping to maintain momentum following his win at the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona.
“The win in Barcelona was a good all-round weekend for me and I’m happy to get straight back to racing after the weekend off,” Piastri said.
“The team are doing a great job across the board and together, we continue to push thanks to all the hard work.
“I’m feeling very positive and focused heading to Montreal. It’s a good opportunity to keep up the strong momentum and I’m looking forward to taking on the fast, low-downforce track.”
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