Behind the glitz and glamour of Formula 1 lies a vital support network for all drivers. Managers, teams and friends.
But most important is the driver’s performance coach. The person who is with them at all times, keeping them in the zone to succeed and ensuring each athlete is at their best.
Kim Keedle was the Aussie at the centre of Formula 1 supporting Australian championship contender Oscar Piastri and, before that, the man who suffered one of F1’s most famous incidents, Roman Grosjean.
The Roar sat down with Keedle ahead of the launch of F1 The Exhibition in Melbourne to discuss his career and what he learnt from his rise through one of the most sought-after jobs in Formula 1.
Keedle graduated from the University of Melbourne in 2012 and decided to take the plunge, moving to the UK in his mid-20s to see the world. Little could have prepared him when a mutual contact recommended he join the newly founded Haas F1 team for the 2017 season, coaching French driver Roman Grosjean. For Keedle, the experience of joining a team like Haas gave him a new home.
Oscar Piastri. (Photo by Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
“Whilst they were only a small team, what they were achieving was very impressive,” Keedle said.
“The technology and the way that they operate logistically was very eye-opening.
“They’re a family team environment.”
Keedle remained with Haas and Grosjean until the conclusion of the 2020 season, but the Frenchman didn’t make the season finale due to the horrendous crash at the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix, in which Grosjean’s car split in half and exploded into a fireball in now iconic scenes.
Kim Keedle of the McLaren F1 team. (Photo by Oliver van Bronswijk)
As a close confidante of Grosjean and his family, Keedle remembers the tense moments post-accident like yesterday, when the motorsport world stood still.
Even now, Keedle sees Grosjean’s steering wheel and gloves that were involved in that infamous crash as a part of the exhibition, bringing back scary memories.
“His race engineer said, ‘Are you okay and there was just silence,” Keedle recalls.
“You’re automatically thinking this isn’t good. It seemed like an eternity.
“Someone came over the radio after 30 or 40 seconds and said he was out of the car, which was a huge relief.
“I don’t think it really hit me until I got home at the end of the year and realised how much it had affected me.”
Romain Grosjean’s fiery crash at Bahrain in 2020. (Photo by Bryn Lennon/Getty Images)
Keedle’s partnership with Grosjean was coming to an end, but the Australian stayed with him in the hospital by his side, and whilst they tried to get Grosjean back for the final races, it wasn’t to be. The performance coaches’ next move was to join up with a young Australian hotshot who was heavily touted to make the leap into Formula 1. His name? Oscar Piastri.
Keedle joined up with Piastri and Alpine to complete what turned out to be a victorious campaign away from the spotlight of Formula 1, stepping into the junior categories and F2.
The raw talent in the spec series, which is much more raw, brought its unique challenges for the Aussie duo.
In the PREMA team with future IndyCar driver Robert Shwartzman and Alpine Academy talents such as Christian Lundgaard and Zhou Guanyu, it can be difficult to rise to the top. But Keedle loved the challenges and found adapting to the raw talent that Piastri an ease.
Even when races went awry for Piastri, Keedle found the calm, composed figure that we all see on TV is exactly the same behind the scenes.
“I remember in Bahrain over a F2 weekend he should’ve come second, but he crashed with Dan Ticktum trying to outbrake himself,” Keedle told The Roar in front of Piastri’s exhibition display.
“I thought he’d come back pretty disappointed, but when I got back, he just said, ‘Oh, I probably wouldn’t do that again!’
“Gee, that’s just impressive that you can have so much emotional regulation as a young driver.”
Piastri’s shock move to McLaren saw Keedle join a Formula 1 powerhouse, and 2023 saw strong rookie performances late season with a debut podium at the 2023 Japanese Grand Prix and a then career high second place in Qatar. The jump in performance in 2024 caught a lot of people off guard, with the young Australian driver taking his first two F1 victories in Hungary and Azerbaijan.
Keedle attributes this success to the continuous work that Piastri put into his development and learning. Rookie seasons you take in so much learning about the car, different tracks and juggling marketing and media responsibilities. Keedle says the key was always working on elements of the background and never being stagnant.
The entire team of McLaren put a huge amount of effort into ensuring that Piastri continued to evolve at the top level alongside the mentorship of Piastri’s manager, former F1 driver Mark Webber.
Keedle decided to take a step back from Formula 1 and return home to Melbourne at the conclusion of the 2024 season, but he still keeps a keen eye on his former partner, who took another huge leap throughout this 2025 season. Winning seven races and leading the championship for the majority of the season. Despite how recent races have run, Keedle remains positive that Australia’s newest hope can keep his head held high.
“I’m hoping for an Oscar win, that would be incredible,” Keedle said.
“He’s had an unbelievable season, no matter what happens. He’s going to learn a lot from this season for sure.
“Whatever the result, he can walk away proud with the performance he’s put in.
“Anything can happen in these last two races.”
The Formula 1 Exhibition opens in Melbourne on the 29th of November and will remain open until April, featuring iconic memorabilia and moments from some of Formula 1’s biggest stars.
Oliver van Bronswijkhttps://https://ift.tt/VmTa7nr Aussie secret weapon behind Piastri’s stunning rise, and Grosjean’s courageous return from fiery crash
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