With nine grand prix victories to his name, Formula One drivers are well aware of the sting McLaren ace Oscar Piastri possesses.
But now it seems he has impressed more than just his F1 rivals and fans, with the motor-racing world abuzz for a different reason.
Three biologists, obviously followers of Piastri, have named a newly discovered species of wasp dating from the time of the dinosaurs and found preserved in Burmese amber after the Australian.
A research article in the June issue of academic journal Palaeoworld named the insect, found in northern Myanmar and dating from the middle Cretaceous period, as 'Gwesped Piastrii'.
"The specific epithet honours Mr Oscar Piastri for his achievements in Formula One, and because the colour of the amber piece recalled to the first author the iconic McLaren orange," the article explained.
A newly discovered species of wasp has been named after Oscar Piastri, the 'Gwesped piastrii' 🐝👀
— Formula 1 (@F1) May 28, 2026
Found in Burmese amber in northern Myanmar, the researchers chose to honour Oscar for his achievements in Formula 1 as the amber reminded them of McLaren papaya #F1 pic.twitter.com/h7aAPQHwb7
Piastri is currently attending the Isle of Man TT races with a weekend off before the Monaco Grand Prix on June 7.
The Cretaceous period ended 65 million years ago.
The 25-year-old from Melbourne finished third in last season's championship, losing out to teammate Llando Norris.
He finished just 13 points behind Norris, with four-times champion Max Verstappen second.
with Reuters
