Oscar Piastri will spend Christmas with his family in Australia following his sensational rookie F1 season.

The Australian finished ninth in the points after 22 races, with victory in the Qatar Sprint his self-proclaimed highlight.

His return to Melbourne comes after a hectic conclusion to the year that saw five races in six weeks.

It also bridges the gap ahead of the sport’s record-breaking 2024 season, with 24 grands prix scheduled from February to December next year.

“I’m going back to Australia for Christmas, which will be nice, go see my family, my friends,” Piastri said when asked about his holiday plans by Speedcafe.

“Becoming an F1 driver now, I’ve given myself an extra week at home mid-season for the race, which is nice, but it’s still not quite the same as going home for Christmas.

“So yeah, do that, chill out for a few weeks, and maybe give myself two and a half weeks to relax!

“Be nice to go back to have an extended summer. I feel like, apart from Vegas, I’ve not really had that much cold weather for the year, which has been a nice change. So yeah, be nice to go back home.”

Piastri grew up little more than a stone’s throw from the Albert Park circuit in the south-east of Melbourne, though is now based out of the United Kingdom.

He will return to the UK early in the new year as preparations ramp up for 2024.

Pre-season testing runs for three days from February 21-23 in Bahrain, though before then will be McLaren’s new car launch, the date for which has not yet been announced.

Even still, that will require Piastri to be on hand for photo shoots and marketing before the launch, together with engineering meetings and simulator sessions.

The season itself starts on February 29 in Bahrain before heading to Saudi Arabia a week later.

Albert Park hosts the Australian Grand Prix on March 24, with the championship not winding down until December 8 in Abu Dhabi.