It has been claimed that Oscar Piastri could be looking for a way out of McLaren after missing out on the 2025 Formula 1 title.
Back in August, it looked like Piastri was well on his way to his first world title as he held a healthy lead over Lando Norris and Max Verstappen.
However, the Australian endured a drastic dip in form after the summer break, allowing Norris to take control of the title race.
In the end, Piastri was left disappointed as he finished 11 points behind Verstappen and was 13 points adrift of Norris.
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Over the last few months, McLaren have often been accused of favouring Norris ahead of Piastri, something the team has denied throughout.
Following last weekend's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, it has been claimed that paddock rumours have linked Piastri with a move away from McLaren.
According to F1 journalists Rebecca Clancy and Ben Hunt, Piastri's team might have been reaching out to Red Bull about a potential transfer.
As per F1 Oversteer, Clancy said on the Inside the Piranha Club podcast: "What about this relationship between the drivers, because there were a lot of rumours about Piastri. We know that both McLaren drivers are signed on multi-year contracts; they never tell us exactly how long.
"Piastri’s contract is thought to the end of 2028; however, there were a lot of rumours in the paddock over the weekend that Piastri was looking to join Red Bull from 2027. How would that work?"
Hunt added: "Well, it could definitely work. Who knows what’s going to happen next year with regards to Ford’s progress, whether Verstappen has enough, whether he wants to go somewhere else?
"There’s a lot that can happen next year with the change in regulations, and I think it’s very early to be talking about that."
He continued: "I’m sure conversations have happened with regard to the parties, and what if. You wouldn’t be a Formula 1 manager doing your business if you weren’t checking on people’s availability, so it’s entirely plausible that that could happen. But we won’t know until halfway through, or certainly a quarter of the way through next season.
"If Ford do come in with a super engine and Red Bull pull it all together, then Verstappen won’t be going anywhere, and people will be looking to join that team, and it’s not just Oscar Piastri, it’s probably all of them lining up to join. But I don’t know if that’s going to happen because Ford still have quite a lot of work to do behind the scenes."
What has Oscar Piastri said about joining Red Bull?
Back in April, Piastri said of the links with Red Bull: "That’s flattering, of course, but ultimately, I don’t care at all. I see my future at McLaren. That’s why I recently extended my contract early beyond 2026.
"You never know how good a team will be. I’m confident we’ll continue to be at the front. The development we’ve undergone is incredible."
Topics: Oscar Piastri, McLaren, Red Bull Racing, Formula 1
Marcus Chan