Oscar Piastri is facing criticism from Nico Rosberg, who claims the Australian's market value has taken a plunge in recent weeks.

What happened?

On a Sunday when Lando Norris finished on the podium, Piastri was fifth and finished the Grand Prix half a minute behind his teammate.

Rosberg told Sky Sports: “Not going too well for him as of late.”

Why it matters for Oscar Piastri

Aussie legends James Courtney and Garth Tander did not take kindly to the criticism of their compatriot, calling it short-sighted and questioning whether Rosberg and Jacques Villeneuve had been out of the game for too long to understand the full picture.

Courtney told MotorRacing 360: “I think it’s a pretty harsh summary of his season.”

What comes next?

Tander reckons Piastri is still very much in the hypothetical conversation for Max Verstappen's Red Bull seat should the Dutchman leave the team, saying: “His name will be at the top of every team’s list if there was availability to get him.”

Oscar Piastri is just five points behind Lando Norris, and Courtney believes McLaren's form this season hasn’t exactly given Piastri the opportunity to shine.

Tander says they are basing their criticism on just one standalone race weekend, and that Piastri didn’t have a great weekend at Barcelona, but that’s one weekend.

The criticism from Rosberg and Villeneuve came after the Barcelona Grand Prix, where Norris closed in on the Mercedes drivers in the final stint.

Villeneuve added: “Nobody’s talking about him anymore. And that’s in the space of what? Like six months? Even less.”

Courtney and Tander believe Piastri is still a top driver, and his performance this season is not a true reflection of his abilities.

Zak Brown would admit that McLaren’s performance this year hasn’t been good enough, and the whole team is working hard to try and lift as a team.

For Rosberg and Villeneuve to come out with that criticism, Courtney thinks it’s incredibly harsh, and maybe they’ve just been out of it a little too long.

There are a lot of things going against McLaren at the moment, according to Courtney.

If a seat became available at Mercedes that Max Verstappen isn’t filling, Tander reckons they’re calling Oscar Piastri.

Piastri's season has been defended by Aussie legends, who believe he is still a top driver despite the criticism from Rosberg and Villeneuve.