#CannesLions: Oscar Piastri Interview - “People Know Who I Am Now. That’s New.”
- Romy Kraus
- Jun 24, 2025
- 4 min read
Oscar Piastri’s underdog-to-champion arc mirrors McLaren’s long-haul resurgence
The Lowdown
Oscar Piastri’s transformation from rookie to fan-favorite champion is central to McLaren’s modern identity.
McLaren’s car evolves constantly: 80% of components change yearly, informed by 50 million simulations and 300 onboard sensors per weekend.
The fanbase has exploded to 827 million globally, with 1 in 3 joining the sport in the last four years—especially younger and more female audiences.
Marketing now works like engineering: test, iterate, optimize.
Driver branding, sponsor integration, and digital storytelling are now as vital as lap time.
F1’s challenge for front-runners like McLaren: win now, while planning for 2026’s regulation shake-up.
“Our Entire Field Is Covered by 2%.” —Zak Brown
Formula 1 is a sport of inches, and Zak Brown puts numbers on it: “Our entire field is covered by 2%.” That narrow gap—between first and last—is where performance gains live. And that’s where McLaren works: 300 sensors onboard, pulling 1.5 terabytes of data per weekend. That’s equivalent to 10 million documents or 400 HD movies. Each race weekend, the team runs 50 million simulations.
But data alone isn’t enough. “You need data, AI, and the human in the loop,” says Brown. That’s where Oscar comes in—working with engineers to pull hundredths of a second out of each corner.
“We change about 80% of our car over the course of the year.” —Zak Brown
“I look at squiggly lines. The engineers figure out the rest.” —Oscar Piastri
“You Probably Do More Work Off the Track Than On It.” — Oscar Piastri
F1 drivers today are full-time brand operators as much as athletes. For Oscar, that shift was one of the biggest adjustments when stepping into Formula 1. “It’s definitely a learning process,” he says. “But we’ve worked hard to make everything efficient—so I can focus on racing, but still deliver value off the track.”
Louise McEwen is behind that efficiency. “The scale we need to reach now, with such a diverse fan base, means we have to be smarter. We treat marketing the same way we treat a car setup—test it, debrief it, make it better.”
“You can’t have one without the other—the on-track and off-track work.” —Oscar Piastri
“We regroup like engineers after a race. Same mindset, different medium.” —Lou McEwen
“Everyone Wanted Us To Do Well. Now They Support Us Doing Well.” — Oscar Piastri
When Oscar joined McLaren, the team wasn’t winning yet—but fans were rooting for them. Now, with wins stacked and a championship under his belt, the support has evolved. “It’s been really special to see the fans not just want us to succeed—but celebrate that we are,” he says.
McEwen credits Piastri’s grounded demeanor and consistent performance. “He came out of nowhere in 2023 and has just been solid. Performance helps, but humility and relatability matter too.”
“You were number one in the latest fan survey—Oscar doesn’t even know yet.” —Lou McEwen
“It’s still weird that people recognize me more this year.” —Oscar Piastri
“Only 1% of Fans Ever Get to a Track.” —Lou McEwen
F1 has 827 million fans—but only a fraction will ever attend a race in person. That stat drives McLaren’s outreach strategy. From livestreamed events to fan activations like McLaren Racing London Live, they’re focused on closing the access gap.
In July, they’ll turn Trafalgar Square papaya for their first-ever city takeover—free, ticketed, and designed to bring the pit lane experience to fans in the real world.
“Our London buses are already wrapped in papaya, driving around the city.” —Lou McEwen
“This isn’t just marketing—it’s access.” —Zak Brown
“F1 Was a Soap Opera Waiting to Be Filmed.” —Zak Brown
Netflix’s Drive to Survive helped flip the script. “Other sports focus on the field of play. F1 has that, but we also have politics, money, human drama,” says Brown. “People want the full story.”
Lou echoes that. “McLaren’s no longer just a racing team. We’re a brand. We have to show up with values and personality—whether we’re on the podium or not.”
“We’ve had to build brand resilience. You don’t always win—but you can always connect.” —Lou McEwen
“It’s a soap opera, and we’re all characters.” —Zak Brown
“We Want to Win the ’25 Title Before Worrying About ’26.” —Zak Brown
Regulation changes in 2026 mean that many teams are already shifting focus. Not McLaren. “Every dollar we spend on this year’s car is a dollar we don’t spend on next year’s,” Brown explains. “But we want to win the 2025 championship first.”
The 2026 car is a clean slate—no carryover parts, no benchmarks. It’s a high-stakes blank canvas. “Exciting and terrifying,” Brown admits.
“Some teams have already stopped developing their 2025 car. We haven’t.” —Zak Brown
“We’ve started simulator work for 2026, especially with the new engine rules.” —Oscar Piastri
“Before it was a profession, it was a hobby. Still kind of is.” —Oscar Piastri
Outside of the race weekends, Oscar keeps it lowkey: paddle matches (he’s got a rematch lined up with George Russell), and time with people who keep him grounded.
“I like racing cares. I like doing nothing in between races.” —Oscar Piastri
What’s Next
Q: What’s the main goal for the rest of 2025?
Oscar: Win as many races as possible. Simple.
Zak: Wrap up both championships—then worry about 2026.
Q: Are you involved in next year’s car?
Oscar: A bit. I’ve done some simulator work, especially around the new power units, but not full-on yet.
Q: Where’s McLaren’s marketing heading?
Lou: More access, more inclusivity. We’re bringing the team to fans, not the other way around. London Live is just the start.
Q: How do strategies differ across markets like North America vs. Europe?
Lou: North America’s younger, newer. Europe has legacy fans. We adjust in real time—different content, different storytelling.
Q: What excites you most about 2026?
Zak: The reset. New cars, new teams, and a totally level playing field. Plus, we’ve got a new hospitality unit coming to bring partners even closer to race ops.
