Ishowspeed’s Blatant Influence Leaves Oscar Piastri Calling Out Lando Norris Over $10M Business Rip Off

Oct 27, 2023 | 7:31 AM EDT

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The world of Formula 1 is no stranger to controversies. In a surprising twist, the world of live streaming and gaming has seeped into the paddock. Oscar Piastri, McLaren’s young star, raised eyebrows during a recent exchange with teammate Lando Norris on McLaren’s TikTok channel. At the heart of the controversy? The meteoric rise of IShowSpeed, or Darren Watkins Jr. as his family knows him. Hailing from Cincinnati, Ohio, Watkins has managed to amass a whopping net worth of $10 million, largely due to his antics on YouTube and Twitch. Despite beginning with just a smattering of viewers in 2017, Watkins has ridden the wave of gaming phenomena like Roblox, Fortnite, and FIFA to become a noticeable figure in the streaming world.

Yet, it’s not just his gaming that’s caught attention. Controversies, including ones revolving around crude behavior, have frequently overshadowed Watkins’ achievements. Yet, in the face of adversity (or perhaps because of the allure of such scandals), his subscribers ballooned to 10 million by 2022.

McLaren’s TikTok Tiff

Back to the McLaren TikTok saga: As Norris shared content reminiscent of IShowSpeed’s style, Piastri playfully jibed, “I feel like you’re trying to do a better version of Speed’s streams.” Norris, possibly caught off-guard, responded cryptically with “Oh… Mag-uire”, leaving fans scratching their heads. Piastri didn’t let him off the hook easily, countering with a cheeky “Brooklyn Bridge” remark.

🎥| oscar and lando on mclaren’s tiktok!
“i guess these two know a thing or two about speed … 🏁” pic.twitter.com/Hrp9MfyNHT
— Piastri Boos 🎃 (@PiastriNews) October 25, 2023

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So, is this a genuine grievance, a bit of light-hearted banter, or merely a nod to the undeniable influence of the streaming behemoth that is IShowSpeed? Only time (and perhaps a few more TikToks) will tell. In the interim, motorsport aficionados might just find themselves meandering down the gaming alley to get a taste of what all the fuss is about.

As for controversies, McLaren’s up-and-coming sensation, Oscar Piastri, finds himself at the heart of a growing debate. It’s the debate over FIA regulations and penalties following a questionable overtake by Mercedes’ George Russell during the Sprint race at the Circuit of the Americas (COTA) on October 21.

Oscar Piastri Calls for Stricter FIA Penalties

With overheated tires in the early laps, the Australian rookie felt the heat, literally and figuratively, as the pack behind him sensed an opportunity.

Enter George Russell, who in the spirit of opportunism, executed an overtake on Piastri but did so by exceeding track limits.

Russell’s on-track advantage, however, went virtually unchecked. The FIA’s standard five-second penalty saw him drop a mere single position from seventh to eighth. In contrast, Piastri found himself classified in 10th place.

Sharing his thoughts with the-race.com, Piastri said, “The one with George was clear… It’s just a question in that racing situation whether the penalty was right and whether it sets a precedent for the future.”

The crux of the argument? Piastri believes that with such lenient penalties, drivers in faster cars might feel the incentive to overtake off-track and merely deal with the repercussions later. “I feel like swapping the cars back around shouldn’t be that difficult in that set of circumstances,” the McLaren driver opined.

As the gray areas in racing rules seem to embolden some drivers to test the limits, Piastri’s call to the FIA is clear: It’s time to rethink and possibly recalibrate the penalties to keep the sport fair and competitive.

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