Researchers name 98-million year old wasp species after Oscar Piastri

Three biologists have named a newly-discovered wasp species after McLaren F1 driver Oscar Piastrii.

Corentin Jouault, Di-Ying Huang and Celso O. Azevedo conducted research on a 98-year-old fossil from the Cretaceous Period, discovered in Myanmar, which gave them insight into the species' evolution and morphological similarities to other wasp species.

The ancient wasp is encased in a rectangular piece of amber measuring 10 × 8 × 2 mm, stored at China's Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, with the study published in the peer-reviewed academic journal focused on palaeontology.

Intriguingly, Jouault, one of the authors and a fellow of Oxford University, named the new wasp species Gwesped piastrii after McLaren F1 driver Oscar Piastri.

"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," read the paper published in the June issue of academic journal Palaeoworld.

Oscar Piastri, McLaren

Photo by: Sam Bagnall / Sutton Images via Getty Images

Amateur entomologists will enjoy learning Gwesped piastrii is the second species of the Lancepyrinae genus Gwesped. "This species can be readily distinguished from the previously known Gwesped species by its higher number of flagellomeres and distinctive forewing venation," the researchers detailed.

Piastri currently hovers in sixth-place in the world championship after a turbulent start to the 2026 season. The Australian failed to make the start in the first two grands prix in Melbourne and Shanghai, before taking second place in Japan.

The 25-year-old is currently visiting the infamous Isle of Man TT before the entire field heads to the streets of Monte Carlo for next week's Monaco Grand Prix.