Oscar Piastri Has 'Set Sights' on Leaving McLaren as F1 Title Hopes Unravel
Oscar Piastri is reportedly considering his future at McLaren amid his current struggles.
Back in August, Piastri was sitting pretty at the top of the 2025 Formula 1 standings, with a healthy lead over Lando Norris and Max Verstappen.
However, over the last two months, the Australian has endured a drastic dip in form, with no wins since the Dutch Grand Prix, which was held on August 31.
Since then, Piastri has only managed a top-three finish on one occasion.
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As a result, the 24-year-old headed into the Brazilian Grand Prix one point behind McLaren teammate Norris, who has managed to turn his season around.
On Sunday, Piastri endured yet another difficult afternoon, after he was handed a 10-second penalty for causing a collision that ended Charles Leclerc's race.
The Australian tried a brave move into Turn 1, but locked up and hit Kimi Antonelli, who was sent into Leclerc's Ferrari, damaging the SF-25's suspension.
Looking ahead, with just three race weekends remaining, Piastri is now trailing Norris by 24 points. Meanwhile, Verstappen is only 25 points adrift of the Australian.
Amid his current struggles, it has previously been claimed by Swiss outlet Blick that Piastri has begun 'setting his sights' on potentially moving away from McLaren.
Earlier in the year, Piastri put pen to paper on a new deal until the end of 2028, but the possibility of a vacant seat emerging at Ferrari for 2027 could present an opportunity for him to move teams.
The futures of current Ferrari stars Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton remain uncertain beyond the 2026 campaign.
While both drivers are contacted for next season, it was recently reported by Italian outlet RMCMotori that Leclerc's manager had held preliminary talks with other teams ahead of 2027.
Meanwhile, Hamilton's form has cast serious doubts over his involvement with the Scuderia beyond 2026, with reports claiming Ferrari are set to part ways with the seven-time world champion at the end of next year.
Speaking after the Brazilian Grand Prix, Piastri said: "I think in terms of the championship there’s no point thinking about it very much.
"There’s clearly some things we need to sort out. Just a tough weekend from a number of fronts, so I’ll focus on that instead."
Topics: Oscar Piastri, Lando Norris, McLaren, Formula 1, Max Verstappen
Marcus Chan