ROOKIE McLaren driver Oscar Piastri grew up 15 minutes away from the Australian Grand Prix circuit and used to play cricket on the ovals being used as the race paddock.

Now 21, he is preparing for a dream debut at Albert Park - only his third race in Formula One – in front of an estimated 140,000 fans on Sunday to cap a meteoric rise.

“I played Aussie Rules footy and cricket on some of the ovals that are now the paddock, so yeah, very special to be home this weekend,” said the Australian, seen as one of the sport’s hottest young talents.

His opening two races this month were a mixed bag, coming 15th in Saudi Arabia and failing to finish his debut grand prix in Bahrain.

But he was encouraged by his performance in Jeddah and is determined to build on it in front of his home fans following some upgrades to the car.

“Qualifying (in Saudi Arabia) especially gave me a lot of confidence that the way we’re working is the right way,” he said.