Oscar Piastri talks about his future with McLaren after rumors about Max Verstappen possibly joining the team.
Max Verstappen was rumored to be moving to McLaren before last weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix, with talk that Oscar Piastri might switch to Red Bull as part of a deal. McLaren’s CEO, Zak Brown, cleared up these rumors, which were first reported by the Daily Mail, saying he’s happy with the current drivers at McLaren.
People have been guessing about Verstappen’s future for a while now, especially since Red Bull hasn’t been winning as often lately. This has led to links with teams like Mercedes and McLaren. It’s also been reported that Verstappen has a special clause in his Red Bull contract allowing him to leave if he’s not in the top two of the Drivers’ Championship by the Hungary race.
Because of this, drivers at Mercedes and McLaren might be worried about keeping their spots if Verstappen becomes available. Recently, Piastri shared his thoughts about his place at McLaren, who are the current constructor champions. Talking to PlanetF1 at the British Grand Prix, he said: “For me, it doesn’t mean much. Max is obviously very talented, but I’m happy where I am. I’ve been told many times that the team is happy with me, and I trust them. I have a contract, so it doesn’t change anything. I’m just focused on building on our past success.”
Piastri has had a tougher season compared to last year. He’s currently fourth in the World Championship, 91 points behind the leader, Kimi Antonelli. Last season, he was fighting for the championship until the final race, but his teammate Lando Norris ended up winning. Piastri admits he’s not fully satisfied with McLaren’s performance this year because he wants to be competing for wins. He said, “There’s less pressure this year because of where we are, but that doesn’t mean we’re happy. I’d rather be in last year’s position, fighting for the championship, than just aiming for podiums right now.”