Australian Formula 1 star Oscar Piastri has had a hilarious exchange on social media with his mum and Ferrari star Charles Leclerc ahead of the Monaco Grand Prix.
This coming weekend, the eighth F1 event of the year takes place in Monte Carlo, and Piastri will be looking to continue his excellent form.
In the days before the Chinese Grand Prix, the 23-year-old revealed to the world that he had Chinese heritage and lightheartedly said the race would be a home event for him.
On Tuesday he took to social media to joke that he was hoping to make the upcoming Monaco GP a home race too.
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Oscar Piastri joked that he was searching his family tree to find any trace of Monegasque roots ahead of the upcoming Monaco Grand Prix
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Monegasque driver Charles Leclerc offered to adopt the Australian if needed
‘Searching my family tree to find any trace of Monegasque roots,’ he posted on X.
Ferrari driver Leclerc, who is a native of Monaco, had a solution for the Aussie.
‘I can adopt you if needed,’ he replied.
Oscar’s mum, Nicole Piastri, who is known for her cheeky sense of humour, fired back at Leclerc, writing: ‘I have some questions @Charles_Leclerc’.
Piastri missed out on his first visit to a Formula One podium this season after Max Verstappen raced to a hard-earned victory in the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix on Sunday.
The Red Bull maestro was forced to hold off Piastri’s McLaren teammate Lando Norris in a dramatic conclusion to Sunday’s race at Imola, winning by just 0.725 seconds.
Piastri, who eventually finished fourth after a frustrating day trying to get past a couple of Ferraris, would have been left wondering what he could have achieved if he had been able to get a clear tilt at Verstappen.
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Piastri’s mum, Nicole Piastri, had a few questions for Leclerc about adopting her son
Unfortunately for the Melburnian, he never got the chance after having to start fifth on the grid following his penalty from stewards after his brilliant second-placed finish in qualifying on Saturday.
Piastri, who had been relegated for obstructing Kevin Magnussen’s Haas in qualifying, had been faster than Norris all weekend, yet his English teammate still nearly followed up his maiden victory in Miami with a late charge on Sunday.
‘I think it’s shown we can definitely take the fight to them,’ said Piastri, brushing aside any personal disappointment.
Leclerc was third at the Italian team’s atmospheric home track, 7.916 off the pace, but still doing enough to keep Piastri at bay.
Piastri’s Australian colleague Daniel Ricciardo, in his RB, could finish only 13th, three places behind his teammate Yuki Tsunoda.
Norris, who had cut the gap to just 1.1 seconds going into the final lap, was left reflecting on his near-miss with the observation: ‘It hurts me to say but one or two more laps I think I would have had him.
‘It would have been beautiful, but just not today.
‘But we are at a point now where we can say we are in the position with Ferrari and Red Bull. We have to get used to it. We are fighting for first and second now.’
