Ex-F1 champions rip into Piastri: 'Nobody's talking about him anymore'

Former F1 champions Nico Rosberg and Jacques Villeneuve have publicly questioned Oscar Piastri's form after the McLaren driver salvaged fifth in Barcelona, claiming his "market value" and paddock standing have plunged since last season. The criticism comes despite data showing Piastri remains neck-and-neck with teammate Lando Norris across the opening phase of the 2026 campaign.

Why it matters:

The scrutiny from high-profile champions intensifies pressure on Piastri as McLaren fights to recover from third place in the constructors' standings. With Ferrari and Mercedes surging under the 2026 regulations, any perceived dip from a lead driver threatens to stall the team's recovery and shift the driver market narrative.

The details:

• Champion criticism: On Sky Sports, Nico Rosberg claimed Piastri's "market value has taken a bit of a plunge" because he is not yet comfortable with the new regulations, while Jacques Villeneuve argued the Australian "collapsed" last year and "hasn't recovered," adding that "nobody's talking about him anymore."
• The numbers: Despite the harsh assessments, Piastri still leads Norris 4-3 in both qualifying and races, trails by just five points in the drivers' championship, and has matched his teammate's two podiums.
• Barcelona struggles: Piastri failed to convert early pressure on Max Verstappen into a pass and later lost ground to Lewis Hamilton as Ferrari's upgraded package dominated, with Hamilton winning by 19.4 seconds.
• Team outlook: McLaren sits 121 points behind Mercedes and 49 points adrift of Ferrari in the constructors' championship.

What's next:

Piastri and McLaren face a critical stretch to understand why Ferrari's latest upgrades have delivered such a commanding race-trim advantage. The Australian acknowledged Ferrari's high-downforce concept appears better suited to protecting fragile tires on low-grip surfaces, indicating McLaren must accelerate its development push to avoid falling further behind at the front.