Oscar Piastri shares heartbreaking news; Max Verstappen welcomes new recruit
Oscar Piastri has raced for McLaren since the start of the F1 2023 season
McLaren driver Oscar Piastri has announced that one of his dogs has sadly passed away.
It comes as Max Verstappen, the Red Bull star and reigning four-time World Champion, has welcomed a new dog into his family.
Heartbreak for Oscar Piastri, Max Verstappen welcomes new dog
Following a promising debut season in 2023, Piastri claimed two race victories over the course of the F1 2024 season to help McLaren secure their first Constructors’ title in 26 years.
With wins in Hungary and Azerbaijan, the Australian finished fourth in the Drivers’ standings, 82 points behind team-mate Lando Norris, who finished as runner up to Verstappen with four victories.
With McLaren ending the year with the fastest car, Piastri will be aiming to challenge for a first World Championship in F1 2025.
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In a post on Twitter on Sunday, Piastri revealed that one of his dogs, Rosie had died. Rosie is survived in the Piastri household by Basil.
He wrote: “Unfortunately we had to say goodbye to Rosie recently but Basil is still keeping us on our toes.”
Piastri’s heartbreaking news came as Verstappen announced that he has welcomed a new recruit – a dachshund called Nino – to his family.
Nino is set to link up with Verstappen’s three cats – Jimmy, Sassy and Donatello – with the Red Bull driver confirming the name of his new dog during a livestream over the weekend.
He laughed: “His name is Nino, but he’s gone for a while now. I put his food here and then he wasn’t interested in me anymore!”
Verstappen’s home is set to become busier still in 2025 following the news that he and his partner Kelly Piquet, the daughter of the three-time F1 World Champion Nelson Piquet, are expecting their first child.
Ms Piquet has one child from a previous relationship with former Red Bull driver Daniil Kvyat, with five-year-old Penelope a regular presence alongside Verstappen on F1 race weekends.
Verstappen’s move into fatherhood recently caused some disagreement behind the scenes at Red Bull, with long-serving team adviser Helmut Marko claiming it could make the reigning four-time World Champion three tenths slower on track.
Marko insisted, however, that should only put Verstappen “within reach” of his rivals.
He told German outlet RTL: “Generally people say that after their first child drivers will drive three tenths slower.
“That means Max will be within reach of some of the top drivers, but he would still be a bit ahead of them. So that means there’s no problem.”
Marko’s comments were dismissed by Verstappen’s father, Jos Verstappen, who rejected the widespread belief that having children slows down racing drivers.
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And he revealed that Verstappen already knew he is to become a father at last year’s Brazilian Grand Prix, where he produced one of the greatest performances in F1 history to win from 17th on the grid and take a giant step towards a fourth straight title.
He told De Telegraaf: “No, that’s bull**t. I think it just motivates. It didn’t bother me before.
“Max has known for a while that he’s going to be a father. That thought hasn’t exactly bothered him.
“Just look at how he won the race in Brazil. He already knew then, and so did I.
“It may sound crazy, but I knew he was going to be a father before he even told me.
“I’m not crazy Henkie. I saw it coming. I know my son well and only have to look at him.
“For him, I am very happy. Of course, there are some things involved, but he has to experience all that.”
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