F1 star Oscar Piastri stunned by brutal Charles Leclerc attack

Charles Leclerc, Oscar Piastri, Ferrari, McLaren, Red Bull, 2025 — Photo: © IMAGO

Miami Grand Prix

Oscar Piastri stunned by brutal Charles Leclerc attack

Oscar Piastri reacted with a shocked expression

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Thursday 7 May 2026 22:57

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McLaren F1 star Oscar Piastri's reaction to a Charles Leclerc comment at the Miami Grand Prix has gone viral on social media.

Leclerc shared the podium for the sprint race in Miami with McLaren's Piastri and Lando Norris, meaning he was in the post-sprint race press conference.

And a journalist in the room brought up a comment that Leclerc had made on team radio earlier in the race, in which he had criticised Mercedes' 19-year-old driver Kimi Antonelli.

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Antonelli currently leads the drivers' championship, and has performed brilliantly well in 2026, but Leclerc said over team radio during the sprint race: "Kimi is so bad on wheel to wheel. He moved under braking, it’s unbelievable, we’re going to crash."

When that comment was brought up in the press conference, Piastri looked stunned to hear what Leclerc had said about Italian teenager Antonelli, which was made even more shocking by the fact that Leclerc himself is an honorary Italian due to his Ferrari stardom.

Leclerc quickly rowed back on his team radio comments, however, saying in the press conference: "I was being a bit harsh maybe with the adrenaline inside the car," he said.

"He's the only Italian driver on the grid against Ferrari, I wish it was with someone else, and I really like Kimi also as a person."

Antonelli's rise and rise

While a few rookie errors did creep into Antonelli's first season in the sport last year, the Italian teenager has looked assured so far in 2026.

He has won three of the four grands prix so far and currently sits 20 points ahead of much more experienced team-mate George Russell in the race for the drivers' championship.

Antonelli has also secured three grand prix pole positions in 2026, meaning he has outqualified 'Mr Saturday' Russell 3-1.

While Russell started the season as the huge bookies' favourite to claim championship success, Antonelli is now the favourite, but time will tell whether he can keep up this level of dominance over his esteemed team-mate throughout the 22-race season.

F1 Charles Leclerc Oscar Piastri Kimi Antonelli Miami Grand Prix