Juan Pablo Montoya believed that Oscar Piastri’s administration may already be exploring choices exterior McLaren following a demanding 2025 System 1 season. The previous F1 driver prompt that current tensions within the crew and the way in which McLaren dealt with its title struggle might be an element, even when Piastri himself stays dedicated.
Piastri’s 2025 marketing campaign resulted in frustration. He led the standings for a lot of the yr, with a 34-point benefit over Lando Norris and 104 factors over Max Verstappen at summer season break. Nevertheless, a tough stretch noticed momentum swing sharply. The Australian completed the season with simply two podiums within the last eight races.
Norris recovered to seal the title in Abu Dhabi, whereas Piastri slipped to 3rd total, ending 11 factors behind Verstappen. Sections of the fanbase accused McLaren of favoring Norris throughout key moments. That notion additionally fueled hypothesis about Piastri’s long-term future, and Montoya added additional weight to the talk by pointing to his supervisor Mark Webber’s difficult finish at Pink Bull.
“I can assure that Mark Webber is already speaking to different groups, I’d say Pink Bull and Aston Martin, as a result of he’s sad with how Piastri was handled,” Montoya informed Grosvenor Casinos (by way of F1 Ardour). “I’m unsure, however I believe he’s already in talks…. I don’t know if Piastri is definitely sad with McLaren. Mark Webber have to be cautious to not make Piastri pay for a few of the wounds which can be a part of Webber’s racing profession.”
Oscar Piastri is tied to McLaren by way of 2028, and Pink Bull has already finalized its 2026 lineup, confirming Isack Hadjar alongside Max Verstappen. The second Pink Bull seat has confirmed unforgiving, with eight driver adjustments up to now decade and broadly seen as tailor-made to Verstappen’s strengths, making it an uncomfortable atmosphere for teammates to thrive.
Aston Martin can also be locked in for 2026, with Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll set to proceed. Whereas Alonso has hinted that 2026 might be his last season, Stroll has dismissed retirement discuss as “pretend information,” limiting instant openings.
In the meantime, reviews in Italy had already linked Webber to discussions with Ferrari. However McLaren nonetheless holds the strongest hand. Again-to-back constructors’ titles in 2024 and 2025 have made it the benchmark crew, and leaving essentially the most aggressive automotive on the grid would carry apparent threat.
Oscar Piastri says he would “quite be a bit uncomfortable” at McLaren heading into 2026
The 2025 season featured a number of flashpoints between Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, together with their conflict in Canada that ended Norris’ race, a place swap request in Monza, and make contact with on the opening lap in Singapore. McLaren’s choice to let each drivers race freely till the ultimate spherical created tense conditions, however the crew resisted naming a transparent precedence.
Talking after the season, Piastri acknowledged the stress however made it clear that he noticed worth in it.
“I believe if you’re in this type of place, sure, there’s there’s stress concerned,” Piastri mentioned in F1 Past the Grid podcast. (4:35 onwards) “It is robust. It is uncomfortable at occasions, however, I might a lot quite be a bit uncomfortable at occasions and preventing for a world championship than, attempting to scrape a number of factors each on occasion.”
At 24, and solely three years into his F1 profession, Oscar Piastri leaves 2025 having realized laborious classes in a title struggle whereas remaining a part of the game’s best crew.
Edited by Hitesh Nigam
