Oscar Piastri shares his thoughts on Max Verstappen’s contract news as talks about a Red Bull driver change heat up.
Max Verstappen’s future in Formula 1 is now clear, putting an end to talks about him leaving Red Bull for another team. He’s signed a very good new contract that will keep him with Red Bull until after the 2030 season, which is about 15 years since he first joined them.
People were unsure about his future because his current contract has a release clause based on how the team was doing at the summer break. But Verstappen has now committed to four more seasons with Red Bull and even said he’d rather retire than switch to another F1 team.
The team most often linked with Verstappen was McLaren. There were rumors that he was in talks with them for a long-term move. McLaren already has drivers Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, and it seemed Verstappen’s arrival wouldn’t affect them in 2027. However, Piastri’s future after that might depend on what Verstappen decides.
Before the Dutch Grand Prix this weekend, Piastri told reporters he wasn’t worried about Verstappen leaving Red Bull. “I was never really worried about it,” he said. “From where I’m sat, it’s not really anything to do with me.”
Since joining McLaren in 2023, Piastri has become one of Formula 1’s rising stars. He’s won nine Grand Prix races and often finishes in the top three. After making the top 10 in his first season, he finished fourth in 2024 and third in 2025.
This year has been tougher. His best result so far was second place behind Kimi Antonelli at Suzuka in March, but he’s still finished in the top five in most races he finished.
Piastri said, “We’ve had some challenges, but looking at my career so far—winning two constructors’ championships, fighting for a drivers’ title, and winning races and sprints in my first three years—McLaren has given me amazing chances.”
He added, “I’m very happy where I am. We have a great relationship, and I want to be in the best place to succeed. Right now, McLaren is definitely that place.”
This weekend, Verstappen and Piastri will race against each other at the Dutch GP in Zandvoort. Verstappen has won three of the five races held there since it returned to the calendar. The 2026 race will be the last one held in the Netherlands for a while, as Zandvoort will be dropped from the 2027 schedule.