McLaren are bracing for arch-rivals Red Bull to come after Oscar Piastri next year even though the 25-year-old already has a long-term contract.
But the man himself says “it is news to me”, denying any discussions with Red Bull have taken place.
Red Bull are at risk of losing Max Verstappen with the four-time Formula 1 champion unhappy with the sport’s direction, though his exit talk has softened in the wake of agreed regulation changes for 2027.
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McLaren believe their Australian star would be top of the pile to replace the four-time champion if he leaves, according to Autosport.
That a team would have interest in Piastri, who is in his fourth F1 season, comes as no surprise to McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown.
“I would imagine there’s not a team on the grid that wouldn’t want to have Oscar and Lando (Norris) driving for them,” Brown told The Athletic in an interview.
“My general view, contracts aside, (is) our job is to create an environment where our drivers don’t want to drive anywhere else, or for that matter, our employees or our sponsors don’t want to sponsor another team. … I think there’s a lot of talent inside McLaren that other racing teams would like to have.”
Since debuting in F1 with McLaren in 2023, Piastri has won nine grands prix as a key piece of the team’s success.
Speaking in Montreal ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix this weekend the Aussie said his future still lies with McLaren.
“There’s obviously not been any discussions or anything (with Red Bull), but it’s flattering, and there’s not really much more than that,” he said.
“Hopefully, it proves my stock as a driver, which is a nice thing.
“I’ve got a lot of confidence in this team that we are going to be able to win races and hopefully championships in the future, so I’m very happy where I am.”
The likelihood of Red Bull needing to chase a Verstappen replacement diminished when the four-time champion spoke in Montreal.
Weeks after he cast doubt on his F1 career because of the sport’s direction, the 28-year-old said agreed changes to reduce the reliance on electrical power “will for sure improve the product”.
But he stopped short of an outright guarantee he would be on the grid next year, though his tone was notably more optimistic than in previous weeks.
“I always wanted to continue anyway, but I always wanted to see change. And I think the change that’s coming now is definitely very, very positive — or at least, almost back to normal,” Verstappen said.
Formula One, the FIA and engine manufacturers have agreed in principle to move to a 60-40 split in favour of the internal combustion engine by increasing fuel flow and reducing electrical power by the same amount.
However, the change brings significant engineering challenges, as it impacts engine design and fuel-tank size, and has yet to be formally ratified.
“We have to wait and see — if it’s fully confirmed, that definitely needs to happen,” Verstappen, who has repeatedly stressed his concerns were never about his own competitiveness but about the quality of racing, added.
He also pointed to constructive talks with Formula One and the FIA earlier this year as a positive sign.
“It’s just great that they’re open-minded and they listen to the drivers, because I think we speak in the interest of the sport and we just want to make it a better product.”
