Piastri Unfazed by Red Bull Rumours, Commits to McLaren Future

Oscar Piastri remains committed to McLaren, despite flattering rumours linking him with a potential move to Red Bull Racing.

Oscar Piastri has dismissed rumours suggesting that his management is pushing him towards a move to Red Bull.

According to Helmut Marko, Piastri’s manager, Mark Webber, has been applying “intense” pressure to initiate negotiations with the team.

“Let’s put it this way: Mark Webber is keenly seeking discussions,” said the Austrian, confirming speculation that surfaced last week.

Piastri is currently under contract with McLaren until the end of the 2026 F1 season.

However, Marko and Red Bull remain interested in Piastri, as well as his teammate, Lando Norris.

With Max Verstappen’s long-term future uncertain and Sergio Perez continuing to underperform, an opportunity could arise in the near future.

Piastri responded to Marko’s comments today in Mexico.

“Definitely not, I’m very happy where I am! I’m contracted for the next two years after 2024, and I’m certainly not looking to go anywhere else. But it wouldn’t be a week in F1 without a few remarks from Helmut!”

Piastri acknowledged that the Red Bull rumours were “a nice compliment” but reiterated his satisfaction with McLaren.

“I’m not overly thrilled to read these things in the press, though I must say, it is a nice compliment. But once again, I’m very happy where I am, and I think Red Bull has a pretty large pool of young drivers to choose from if they wish.”

With the “rumours” addressed, Piastri now turns his focus to the upcoming weekend’s race, aiming for a stronger performance than in Austin. McLaren needs him to fend off Ferrari’s resurgence in the Constructors’ Championship.

“Austin was an average weekend, not terrible, but not at the level we’ve come to expect. Our race pace compared to Ferrari was very similar. Our performance wasn’t as poor as people might think, but when you compare it to the previous weekend, where Lando had won with a 20-second gap in Singapore, naturally nothing seems quite as good as that.”

“We’re optimistic about our chances of winning races before the season ends. Ferrari has been strong for a while, and Red Bull seems to be getting more competitive again, so it’s very, very tight. There’s no cause for alarm, but we need to be at our best.”

“Last year was tough here; it was my first time at this track. The grip is very low due to the altitude, and it’s a unique circuit in that regard. It was a painful race, but one of the best for learning. The car should be competitive this time around.”

When asked about penalties and the ongoing debate around them, the Australian believes some sanctions, including those he received during the Sprint, were justified. However, he criticised the decision to penalise Norris alone, despite Verstappen also going off track.

“It’s tricky. My penalty was probably deserved, the one for George against Valtteri was harsh, and with Lando and Max, if Max had stayed on track, it would have been fair. But if both drivers go off track, you either penalise both or neither.”

“Max gained an advantage by releasing the brakes to get ahead at the apex. If both drivers end up off track, it’s tough to penalise just one. But the rules aren’t perfect for every situation.”