Turning adversity into advantage may well be the making of young Australian motorsport racer Oscar Piastri.

Focusing on the positive during the global coronavirus pandemic, Piastri has created opportunity from the crisis after his Formula 3 debut campaign was put on hold when this year’s Australian Grand Prix in March was abandoned.

Despite not getting a chance to hit the track until July, Piastri hasn’t looked back after making an instant impact with victory in his debut F3 race in Austria.

Since then Piastri has kept up a strong run of form and heads into this weekend’s event at Belgium’s iconic Spa circuit just a point behind championship leader Logan Sargeant with three events to go.

Piastri believes the extra time to prepare for his Formula 3 rookie season as well as COVID-19 forcing the abandonment of his high school exams has worked in his favour.

“I went home for what was supposed to be a week for the Australian Grand Prix, and I ended up at home for three months,” Piastri told AAP.

“That was the longest stint I’ve had at home since 2015 I think so that was really good to see my family for so long.

“And then, yeah, my A level exams got cancelled while I was in Australia so sort of meant that everything school-wise as well was all done before the season started which was good because I think I was supposed to be doing some my exams in between a couple of my rounds originally.

“That kind of knocked that out of the way as well which was good … then obviously, such a quick season it was important to start it off right which I think I outdid myself on that one, I wasn’t expecting to win the first one.

“I wanted to get a good start but wasn’t expecting that.”

Piastri has clear ambitions to become Australia’s next Formula One driver and his impressive Formula 3 form will surely not have gone unnoticed.

Having exceeded his own expectations in 2020, the teenager’s focus now is on making sure he continues to prove himself.

“It’s definitely been a good season … I’m hoping that it has made a few people notice my name and find out who I am, and hopefully important people, but yeah it’s been good.”