F1 fans deliver overwhelming verdict when asked if Oscar Piastri will leave McLaren next year

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Oscar Piastri is driving for the best team on the F1 grid in McLaren. His contract runs until the end of 2028.

And yet, there are some doubts over his future at Woking. Juan Pablo Montoya recently predicted that McLaren will lose one of their drivers before 2027 – whoever loses out in the F1 title battle.

Right now, that looks likely to be Piastri. Having led by 34 points just six races ago, he’s now 24 points behind Norris with just three rounds remaining, and he may not have an answer for the Briton’s surge.

This period has featured two controversial team order calls. First, Piastri had to give up second place to Norris at Monza (he’d leapfrogged him due to a slow pit stop), and then, the latter was allowed to hold position after bumping his way past in Singapore.

Almost 80% of F1 fans foresee Oscar Piastri leaving McLaren

Many in the F1 paddock feel that Norris has received preferential treatment at McLaren. While the team say they’re totally committed to giving the two drivers equal opportunity, this objective has proven difficult to accomplish.

Piastri, it should be noted, has never made this accusation in public. And if he’s done so in private, it hasn’t been leaked to the press.

But even with McLaren sealing back-to-back titles, perhaps the Australian will test his worth on the market.

F1 Oversteer recently asked fans in a Talking Points poll whether they expect Piastri to be with McLaren in 2027. There have been 332 votes so far, and a whopping 77.1% of respondents said ‘no’.

Where could Oscar Piastri go if he leaves McLaren?

Piastri will assess the pecking order under the new regulations. It’s possible that McLaren lose their advantage, and a new force emerges.

Indeed, Ralf Schumacher has suggested that Piastri could join Aston Martin, who have signed world-class engineers like Adrian Newey and Andy Cowell and may soon need a successor the ageing Fernando Alonso.

Piastri has also been linked with Ferrari, who are fighting to keep Charles Leclerc. Lewis Hamilton is under contract until 2027 but could leave sooner.

Red Bull are likely to promote Isack Hadjar for what they hope will be a long-term project. Any availability at Milton Keynes, or Mercedes, could depend on what Max Verstappen decides to do.