Inside Aussies' McLaren boost ahead of world title showdown

Australia's quest to win consecutive World Test Championship has taken inspiration from another Aussie seeking his own world title later this year.

The men's Test team's bond with McLaren Formula One star Oscar Piastri went up another notch last week with a visit to the constructor’s Woking headquarters ahead of the WTC final against South Africa.

Aussie players and support staff were given a tour of the facility by Piastri and the McLaren team, swapping high-performance insights with the current F1 championship leaders and even trading technical knowledge with renowned team principal Andrea Stella.

The group of five players – Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Starc, Usman Khawaja, Sam Konstas and Brendan Doggett – then took on Piastri at the Melbourne Grand Prix track and Britain's Silverstone raceway on the company's simulator.

Though a veteran of the Australian side, Lyon said he still got a life lesson from the 24-year-old Melbourne-born driver on how to avoid the wall on an F1 track.

"To become mates with Oscar and see the way goes about it, to follow his career closely now and jump on the sim behind him was a life lesson to me to not change gears and put it straight in the wall," the off-spinner said following last Thursday's visit.

"But lucky enough it was just on the sim.

"It was really special to go there and see what the best F1 team at the moment is doing behind the scenes where a lot of people don’t get access to.

"The facilities they have and the way they go about it is pretty phenomenal; I don't know how much I can say … Red Bull might be listening."

Lyon counts himself lucky to have formed a friendship with Piastri – a lifelong cricket fan who played for West Bentleigh in Melbourne's southeast as a junior – since the F1 star first brushed shoulders with the Test team during the 2023 Ashes at Lord's.

Piastri also visited the team during his hometown Boxing Day Test last summer as Australia beat India to take the lead in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series.

"I was lucky enough to meet Oscar a couple of years ago and I've been able to stay in contact with him," Lyon said.

"I've been very fortunate enough to be in the McLaren shed a couple of years ago at the F1 (Grand Prix) in Melbourne and see the way they prepare, how focused in on what their job is and how much access F1 gives is absolutely phenomenal.

"So I've been lucky enough to follow his career closely since then and hopefully we’ll see McLaren (and Oscar) win the world championship, that would be the dream for any Australian fans."

Unfortunately, Piastri won't be at Lord's next week to cheer on the Aussies as he continues his own F1 world title fight in Canada as he seeks to extend his lead over McLaren teammate Lando Norris in the drivers' standings.

World Test Championship Final

June 11-15: South Africa v Australia, Lord's

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Australia squad: Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Sam Konstas, Matt Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Beau Webster. Travelling reserve: Brendan Doggett

South Africa squad: Temba Bavuma (c), David Bedingham, Corbin Bosch, Tony de Zorzi, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, Senuran Muthusamy, Lungi Ngidi, Dane Paterson, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs, Kyle Verreynne