Oscar Piastri captured in awkward moment with Princess Charlene after Monaco GP
Aussie F1 star Oscar Piastri might be regretting a slightly awkward moment on the podium with Monaco's Princess Charlene as McLaren teammate Lando Norris closed the gap on the Aussie in the drivers standings. Despite the FIA introducing a mandatory two-pit stop rule for this year's race in a bid to make it more entertaining, Piastri couldn't make any major moves on the narrow streets of Monaco.
Piastri finished where he started on the grid in third with Norris and Charles Leclerc also holding their position finishing first and second respectively. Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton was one of the few drivers at the top to make up ground moving seventh to fifth.
While Piastri would have been frustrated to see Norris cut his lead at the top of the drivers championship to just three points, he also would have been left a little embarrassed after an awkward moment with Princess Charlene. Monaco royalty was in attendance to present the trophies to the top three with the glamour of the most famous grand prix in the calendar on show.
Piastri appeared to miss the meet and greet with Princess Charlene before the ceremony. This meant he had never met the princess before. Princess Charlene got up on the stage, alongside Prince Albert, to present Leclerc with the second-placed trophy. And because she hadn't met Piastri yet she put out her hand to greet the young Australian.
And Piastri mistakenly thought she was handing him the second-placed trophy and gestured the trophy belonged to Leclerc. However, it became apparent she was just politely introducing herself for the first time. Teammate Norris appeared to hint to Piastri he might have misread the situation and the Aussie put his hands on his head after the realisation.
The moment was laughed off by all involved with the McLaren drivers smiling after the incident. Fans also couldn't help but make a joke at the awkward moment after Piastri's first interaction with Monaco royalty. Some fans even suggested the funny interaction between Princess Charlene and Piastri was the most entertaining part of the whole race day with little excitement occurring on the track.
😂 can't lie was the most entertaining bit of today boys cheeks would've gone so red
— Bianca (@19Biancap) May 25, 2025
Oscar telling Princess Charlene of Monaco that he's third, not second even though she was trying to shake his hand, not give him the trophy 🤣 Oscar is too damn cute haha#MonacoGP #OscarPiastri #charlesleclerc #landonorris #Formula1
— Nicole Deonanan (@alooamiga) May 25, 2025
Oscar embarrassing himself a little in front of the princess there 🙈 #MonacoGP #SkyF1
— Kibitzer (@Kibitzer_r) May 25, 2025
what was that interaction between oscar and the monaco princess 😭
— mina⁴⁴₈₁⁶ (@wdchlewis) May 25, 2025
The introduction of the two-pit stops during the race actually caused more frustration than drama with some drivers going extra slow to create a gap for a teammate in front to pit without losing positions. Tensions boiled over when Mercedes driver George Russell accused Alex Albon of 'driving dangerously slow' and 'slamming on the brakes' in a terse radio message to his team.
And not all drivers felt the changes were necessary because it created more negative driving. Norris was scathing when discussing the rule change after the race, describing it as an attempt to create 'manufactured racing.'
He said: 'There's not been any more overtaking here. I thought that was what was wanted. Now you just give people opportunity by luck, by waiting for a red flag, waiting for a safety car. You aren't getting a more deserved winner in the end of things.'
Max Verstappen was equally as critical and even compared the race to 'Mario Kart' with some antics going on. Verstappen said "we were almost doing Mario Kart", adding: 'I get it (the new rule), but I don't think it has worked. You can't race here anyway so it doesn't matter what you do. One stop, 10 stops. Even at the end I was in the lead, but my tyres were completely gone, and you still can't pass. We were almost doing Mario Kart. Then we have to install bits on the car – maybe you can throw bananas around? I don't know, slippery surface?'
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