ALERT: OSCAR PIASTRI EXPOSES GEORGE RUSSELL’S "ILLEGAL" UNO RULES DURING F1 TRAVEL
Oscar Piastri spills the beans on George Russell's "cheating" at UNO, his RC car past, and life as an F1 contender in Monaco.
Oscar Piastri, McLaren’s young driver, let slip that he, George Russell, and Alex Albon got pretty competitive with an “UNO World Championship” during their travel days between races in the 2025 Formula 1 season. Apparently, there was a lot of bending the rules—mostly thanks to George. Oscar laughed about it, admitting he’d never heard of half the rules George tried to use. “Family rules, apparently,” he joked.
During an interview on F1’s Off The Grid with Lawrence Barretto, Oscar talked about how those long-haul flights between races can get a bit weird. Sometimes you sleep, sometimes you just chat, but in this case, UNO took over. The game started as a way to kill time on the flight from Baku to Singapore, but it quickly turned into a full-blown championship.
Barretto asked if George’s rules gave him an unfair advantage. Oscar just grinned and nodded—of course they did. “We’re always competitive, all of us. It’s just how we are. But it’s always a good laugh.”
Oscar’s been wired for competition since he was a kid. Before he even thought about Formula 1, he was racing RC cars, just like Lewis Hamilton once did. “I’ve always been competitive. Started with RC cars, won a national championship at nine, then moved on to karting a year later,” he said.
These days, like a lot of drivers, Oscar lives in Monaco. Not just for the glam—though that helps—but because it’s actually practical for getting to races and hanging out with the other drivers. “It’s handy if you want to play padel or just do something different,” he said. “And yeah, it makes travelling to races a lot easier. We usually end up on the same flights anyway.”
After the races, Monaco offers a rare bit of downtime. “It’s nice to come back here when the racing’s over. It’s a bit more chilled out.”
Oscar’s career has taken off fast, and now he’s suddenly in the spotlight as a championship contender for 2025. The attention still throws him off sometimes. “It’s a bit strange,” he admitted. “At the track, you expect it. But sometimes you’re just in the supermarket, and someone comes up for a photo or an autograph, or even just to check if it’s actually you. It still feels weird.”
He’s hoping to keep the momentum going into 2026, building on everything he’s learned so far.
SERGIO PEREZ BREAKS SILENCE ON CADILLAC’S FIRST FOUR RACES OF 2026 F1 SEASON
Discover why Sergio Perez is confident in Cadillac’s 2026 path despite urgent needs for better pace and reliability fixes.
Sergio Perez didn’t waste time sharing his thoughts on Cadillac after the first four races of the 2026 Formula 1 season.
Cadillac shows up in 2026 as F1’s newest team, but honestly, not a lot of people expected fireworks right away. With veterans like Valtteri Bottas and Perez behind the wheel, the team’s start has been a mix, some moments full of promise, others derailed by reliability issues.
Still, Cadillac isn’t just stuck at the back. Lately, they’ve been right there fighting with Aston Martin and even managed to split them in Miami, which turned a few heads.
Perez knows the team is at risk of falling behind in this crazy-fast development race, though. “We still have work to do, but I’m confident we’re on the right path,” he told reporters, including Motorsport Week.
He added, “Sometimes, once tyre degradation sets in, we can hang with the midfield, but they always seem to find another gear. There’s a long way to go this season, but we’re in a rush to find more pace. We know Aston will get stronger, and we don’t want to be left behind.”
Racing Aston Martin has actually brought Perez some enjoyment. He especially likes battling Fernando Alonso, calling those fights fair and satisfying. Still, he pointed out a weak spot: “We’re having fun with them. Racing Fernando is always great because he’s so fair. But we struggled with tyre degradation; we burnt through them too quickly. We picked the hard compound, but honestly, looking back, I should’ve gone with the soft.”
He said there’s plenty to analyse, and really, the key is getting a better grip on their car as they look ahead to Canada. “We don’t have much time, but in the short term, we need to fix the degradation. We have some ideas, but putting them together is our biggest challenge in the next few weeks.”
Cadillac may be the new kid on the block and still finding its feet, but it’s already starting to make an impact. The road out of the lower ranks won’t be easy, but they’re moving in the right direction.
HOW KIMI ANTONELLI’S THREE-RACE WIN STREAK IS REDEFINING THE MERCEDES TEAM HIERARCHY
With a 43-second gap in Miami, Antonelli proves he’s ready to lead the World Championship. Can Russell bounce back in Canada?
David Coulthard, the former Formula 1 driver, recently pointed out that Kimi Antonelli might be on track to overtake George Russell as Mercedes’ team leader.
Antonelli has been on an impressive run, clinching victories in the last three races and pulling ahead by 20 points over his main competitor and teammate, Russell.
At the Miami race, the young Italian once again outperformed his more seasoned teammate, with Russell managing only fourth place, trailing by 43 seconds.
Coulthard acknowledged Antonelli’s rapid rise in 2026, which is just his second season in F1. He highlighted Antonelli’s strengths and suggested that the Italian is, in many ways, now leading the Mercedes team.
“He’s come of age,” Coulthard said during the Up To Speed podcast.
Despite being relatively new, Antonelli has shown resilience, dealing not only with the pressure from a driver like Lando ready to strike but also with technical glitches like inconsistent paddle shifts. Coulthard mentioned how Antonelli kept his cool even when his engineer, Bono, was trying to help troubleshoot the issue in a tense moment.
“I think he’s earned the right to lead the World Championship,” Coulthard added, noting that this situation probably feels uncomfortable for George. Still, the expectations now lean heavily toward Antonelli leading the team, especially based on recent results.
Coulthard also pointed out that Russell has the experience and skill to reclaim his position as the team’s lead driver, but emphasised that only one can come out on top; someone must finish first and the other second.
The rivalry between them might start opening doors for other teams. Coulthard noted that improvements from McLaren, Ferrari, and Red Bull were already noticeable, especially in Miami.
“Winning in the best car isn’t always straightforward. Many have tried and struggled,” he said.
For Russell, who is feeling the weight of this momentum shift, the upcoming race in Canada will be crucial if he wants to close the gap and halt Antonelli’s winning streak.
