Piastri, Albon and Bortoleto hit the karting circuit in pre-Canada break

Oscar Piastri shared glimpses of a karting session with fellow F1 drivers Alex Albon and Gabriel Bortoleto during the three-week break after Miami. The McLaren driver's Instagram post describing the session as his "natural habitat" generated significant engagement ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix.

Sunday, 17 May 2026 Canadian Grand Prix Round 5

Off-Track Action During F1 Break

With the 2026 F1 season entering its mid-stage, several drivers have used the three-week break following the Miami Grand Prix to engage in competitive motorsport away from the circuit. Oscar Piastri of McLaren participated in a karting session alongside Williams driver Alex Albon and Audi's Gabriel Bortoleto, according to reporting from Motorsport.com.

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Social Media Engagement

Piastri posted images from the session to Instagram, captioning the content with the phrase "Natural habitat" — a reference to the drivers' early careers in karting before their progression to single-seaters and ultimately Formula 1. The post generated substantial engagement, recording over 350,000 likes, 560 comments, and 5,700 shares at the time of reporting by Motorsport.com.

Pre-Canadian Grand Prix Preparations

The karting session comes as the F1 paddock prepares for the Canadian Grand Prix, the fifth round of the 2026 season. As Formula 1 reported, the Canadian event represents the third Sprint weekend of 2026, adding an additional layer of preparation intensity for competing teams and drivers.

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