Oscar Piastri Gets a 98-Million-Year-Old Wasp Named After Him: Here's Why

A race-winning McLaren driver, championship contender and one of the brightest talents in the sport, the Australian can now add another, far more unusual honour to that list.

A newly-discovered species of prehistoric wasp has been named after him.

The extinct insect, which lived around 98 million years ago during the age of dinosaurs, has officially been named Gwesped piastrii after the McLaren star. The discovery has quickly gone viral across both the Formula 1 and scientific communities, leaving many fans wondering: why exactly did a fossil wasp end up carrying Piastri's name?

What exactly was discovered?

The fossil was found preserved inside Burmese amber from Myanmar and dates back to the Cretaceous Period, roughly 98 million years ago.

Researchers determined that the specimen belonged to an entirely new species of flat wasp that had never been documented before.

The insect itself is tiny, measuring just over a millimetre in length, but scientists believe it provides valuable insights into the diversity of ancient wasp species that existed during the dinosaur era.

The discovery was formally described in the peer-reviewed journal *Palaeoworld* by researchers Corentin Jouault, Di-Ying Huang and Celso O. Azevedo.

Why was it named after Oscar Piastri?

The answer is surprisingly simple. Lead researcher Corentin Jouault is a Formula 1 fan.

Jouault, a research fellow at the University of Oxford, revealed that he has followed Formula 1 since childhood and has been a supporter of Piastri since the Australian's rookie season.

While working at Oxford, he regularly discussed Formula 1 with colleagues, often debating championship contenders and race results over drinks.

During one of those conversations, Jouault jokingly declared that if he ever discovered a new species, he would name it after Piastri.

At the time, it seemed unlikely. Then he actually found one.

"When I arrived at Oxford, I met a group of enthusiastic F1 fans among my colleagues," Jouault explained.

"We frequently discussed the season, debated race results over a pint and last year we found ourselves debating which driver deserved the title."

"To settle the discussion, I jokingly declared that I would name a species after Oscar Piastri because I have been cheering for him since his rookie season."

A few months later, while studying fossil insects in China, Jouault and his colleagues came across the previously unknown wasp species.

"This is it. I've found my Piastri species," he recalled.

There was another McLaren connection

Piastri's driving wasn't the only inspiration.

The fossil was preserved in a distinctive orange-coloured piece of amber that immediately reminded researchers of McLaren's iconic papaya livery.

The colour link ultimately strengthened the decision to name the insect after the Australian driver.

In the scientific paper, the researchers formally stated that the species was named in honour of Piastri "for his achievements in Formula 1" and because the amber's colour resembled McLaren orange.

Why is it called 'piastrii' and not 'piastri'?

One detail that confused some fans was the unusual spelling.

The species is officially called Gwesped piastrii with two "i"s at the end.

According to Jouault, it follows standard zoological naming conventions.

When a species is named after a man, scientists add the suffix "-i" to the surname. Since Piastri's surname already ends with an "i", the result becomes "piastrii".

So the double "i" is not a typo - it is scientifically required.

Oscar Piastri's reaction

Piastri appeared amused when he learned about the honour.

The McLaren driver quickly embraced the insect-themed jokes that followed on social media.

Taking to Instagram, he wrote that he was "buzzing" about the discovery before later joking that he had become "part of biological history".

"I have heard of the buzz in the news," Piastri said in a McLaren social media video.

"I'm famous. I'm a part of biological history."

"I'm so excited, I might sting someone."

The light-hearted response quickly became a hit among fans, with McLaren joining in on the wasp-related puns.

More than just a funny story

While the discovery has generated plenty of laughs, it also highlights an important scientific finding.

Researchers believe fossil deposits from Myanmar continue to reveal remarkable biodiversity from the Cretaceous Period, helping scientists better understand extinct ecosystems that existed millions of years before humans.

For Jouault, however, the story represents a rare crossover between two passions: science and Formula 1.

And for Piastri, it means that regardless of how the 2026 championship unfolds, his name is now permanently etched into scientific history.

Not many Formula 1 drivers can say they have a species named after them.

Even fewer can say that species lived alongside dinosaurs.