When watching from Europe, it’s easy to take it for granted that, most weeks, we can switch on the grand prix and enjoy it at a regular time of day. Growing up in Australia, this wasn’t an option for Oscar, who would spend his Mondays at school actively trying to avoid the result.

For that reason, his experiences of watching the British Grand Prix were a little different as a child, with the Australian seeing some of Formula 1’s most iconic races many hours after those of us in Europe.

“Watching the British Grand Prix growing up was quite a difficult task with the time difference,” Oscar says. “I would normally watch it on the Monday after school, and I would try to go all day Monday without finding out the race result.

“I always enjoyed watching that race, there are a few classic ones from back in the day. My manager, Mark [Webber], won a few of them. I have some good memories of watching the British Grand Prix.”

Many of the races Oscar watched growing up in Australia featured our iconic Chrome livery, which ran from 2006 to 2015. The beloved look is set to be remembered at this year’s British Grand Prix in partnership with Google Chrome.

“The Chrome cars are what I grew up watching on TV, they were synonymous with McLaren,” Oscar continued. “I referenced it recently ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix, but there was the race in 2011, when Jenson [Button] won on the last lap in Canada, for example.

“There are others too – like watching Lewis [Hamilton] win his first British Grand Prix by over a minute. There are so many iconic McLaren moments in Chrome liveries, and I am looking forward to driving one of my own, as we mix Chrome and papaya this weekend.

“Driving a McLaren with Chrome elements is going to be very exciting. It will be cool for us to carry some of the colours that are familiar to me from watching Formula 1 as a kid. I think that it looks really good. It is exciting and different, and I look forward to seeing it on track. In the sun, I think it will look even better. I hope that everyone else enjoys it too.”

Oscar moved to Europe as a 14-year-old and later scored podiums in Formula 2 and Formula 3 at Silverstone during the British Grand Prix weekends. More than eight years on from moving to the United Kingdom, it’s been a while since he’s had to watch the race on Australian time.

Speaking ahead of his F1 debut at Silverstone, the rookie says that the circuit has always been one of his favourites to compete on, but it will take on extra significance this year as he takes to the track with a British team.

“It is a very special race for the team, their home race,” Oscar continued. “The atmosphere at Silverstone is incredible. I raced there on the F1 weekends in F2 and F3, and it was already pretty nuts driving around with so many fans watching in those categories. In Formula 1, I can only imagine what it will be like.

“Silverstone is a very iconic circuit with a lot of fast, high-speed corners, and as racing drivers, we love that. In a Formula 1 car, I don’t think there are many better feelings than driving around Silverstone.

“You’ve got Copse, the old Turn 1, which is just about flat out, and then Maggots and Becketts, which is a very quick sequence of corners. Stowe is another with a really high-speed entry. It is pretty much impossible to find a better section of road on the calendar, I would say.”

The Chrome MCL60 will take to the track for the first time in the opening free practice session of the British Grand Prix on Friday at 12:30 BST.

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