"Watching his matches on TV is something magical" - When F1 driver Oscar Piastri hailed Barcelona legend Lionel Messi

Formula 1 driver Oscar Piastri once hailed Barcelona legend Lionel Messi, calling some of his abilities 'amazing'. Back in 2023, the Australian racing driver was building up his ultimate athlete, and for the 'feet' section, he picked the legendary Argentine playmaker.

The McLaren driver admitted that he might not be a huge football fan, but Lionel Messi had often impressed him (via Oscar Piastri's website):

"I’m not the biggest football fan but watching his matches on TV is something magical. His low centre of gravity and ability to terrorise defenders with ease is amazing."

He continued, praising the Barcelona legend's quality:

"It was fitting for a player of his ability that he won the World Cup. His speed of thought and instinctive, natural jinks with the ball are something you don’t see many players achieve."

Piastri notably picked Michael Jordan for his mentality, noting that the legendary basketballer "was a real role model," before choosing Rafael Nadal for strength. The driver called the tennis legend "an awesome athlete," then picked Usain Bolt's legs, noting that "his speed is frightening." For hands, he went with Steve Smith, adding that the cricket legend "has quite a unique style that sticks out."

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Inter Miami boss provides update on Lionel Messi's injury situation

Oscar Piastri might have found some time to watch Lionel Messi play for Argentina, as the legendary playmaker led them to win Copa America 2024. However, Messi came off injured in the second half, unable to continue in the final against Colombia.

It was cause for concern for the Argentina national team, and his club Inter Miami will be worried as well. Miami head coach Tata Martino has now provided an update about his fitness after the Barcelona legend won his 45th trophy. He said (via Diario AS):

“Leo’s ankle is...well, you all saw the images. He had a sprain. There will be further testing to determine the severity of the injury. I don’t want to speculate further. He had a sprain. He has to have more tests and wait for the results."

"Walter [Insaurralde], our kinesiologist, is the same one used by the Argentine national team, he is always very cautious in his diagnoses until all the testing is done.”

Lionel Messi will miss their upcoming fixtures as he continues to recuperate, but the 37-year-old will be hoping he can get back to full form in due course. He has a chance to win more trophies with the MLS club, following his exit from Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain, and he will look to be at the forefront of things.