Oscar Piastri has been honored in one of the most unusual ways in Formula 1 history. A newly discovered species of prehistoric wasp, preserved in ancient amber for approximately 98 million years, has been officially named after the McLaren driver, and the reason behind it is as charming as the story itself.
The species, formally named Gwesped piastrii, was documented in a peer-reviewed study published in the scientific journal Palaeoworld in January 2026, authored by researchers Corentin Jouault, Di-Ying Huang, and Celso O. Azevedo. The wasp was found preserved in Burmese amber from the Kachin region of northern Myanmar, dating back to the middle Cretaceous period.
Why the Wasp Was Named After Piastri
The naming was no coincidence. According to the paper, the species name directly honors the Australian driver for his achievements in Formula 1. The first author, Corentin Jouault, noted that the amber piece in which the wasp was found reminded him of the iconic McLaren papaya orange, making Piastri the natural choice to carry the name.
Photo by Sam Bagnall/Sutton Images via Getty Images
"The specific epithet honors Mr. Oscar Piastri for his achievements in Formula 1, and because the color of the amber piece recalled to the first author the iconic McLaren orange. It is to be treated as a noun in the genitive case," the paper states.
The wasp belongs to the genus Gwesped, an extinct subfamily of flat wasps known as Lancepyrinae, and represents only the second known species of its genus. It measures approximately 2.3mm in length and was found alongside a cluster of dendritic trichomes in a rectangular piece of amber.
Oscar Piastri Reacts
The 25-year-old driver himself took the news in typical fashion. Reposting the F1 social media graphic announcing the discovery on his Instagram story on Thursday, he captioned it: "Buzzing about this."
The F1 account, which broke the story with the post, drew an immediate response from McLaren's official account in the comments, "We've BEEn buzzing for this one," alongside Piastri's "Wasn't expecting that one," comment. The post racked up over 676k likes, and counting, a rare overlap of palaeontology and motorsport that captured the internet's imagination.
A Unique Kind of Legacy
For Piastri, the timing adds an extra layer of significance. The announcement comes just days before the Monaco Grand Prix, where the 25-year-old Australian will be looking to extend his championship challenge heading into the European leg of the 2026 F1 season.
While drivers are often remembered through trophies and records, few can claim to have had a 98-million-year-old prehistoric insect named in their honor. Gwesped piastrii will outlast any trophy cabinet.
