Mark Webber reacts to rumours that Oscar Piastri could swap seats with Max Verstappen

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Max Verstappen has been linked with McLaren during the Austrian Grand Prix weekend, raising the possibility that Oscar Piastri will move to Red Bull.

Piastri is likely to leave McLaren if a move for Verstappen goes ahead, rather than reigning world champion Lando Norris. Red Bull would be the only other top team with a vacancy.

Verstappen is still expected to stay at Red Bull, while McLaren have repeatedly insisted that they are happy with their driver line-up, which they regard as the best on the grid. But neither side has definitively ruled out the possibility.

Mark Webber: My answer on Oscar Piastri to Red Bull will get blown ‘out of proportion’

F1-Insider journalist Ralf Bach and colleague Bianca Garloff approached Mark Webber in the Austria paddock to ask about the Piastri rumours.

Webber is part of Piastri’s management, though he has been focusing on commercial matters this season after a winter reshuffle.

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The former Red Bull driver was wary that any statement would get blown ‘out of proportion’, but Bach believes he is ‘urgently’ preparing for the eventuality that Piastri loses his seat.

Bach said: “Bianca and I briefly asked him about the Red Bull situation and the idea of ​​swapping with Max; he just went, ‘Whoa,’ and then said, ‘Yeah, my press statements get blown way out of proportion.’

“I mean, the sequence of his answers was a bit odd. It makes me laugh. He suspects something and is urgently trying to place Piastri somewhere now.

“Looking at his body language, who he’s talking to and how he’s talking, it’s pretty clear that he’s at least been tipped off and doesn’t want to be presented with a fait accompli.”

It has been suggested that Webber’s relationship with McLaren became strained during the ‘papaya rules’ controversies of 2025, so much so that he may no longer be allowed in the team hospitality building.

The Piastri/Red Bull links first emerged in early May, but the assumption was that he would replace a Mercedes-bound Verstappen.

With the Silver Arrows now all but ruling out a move for the four-time world champion, McLaren appears his likeliest destination if he chooses to activate a performance-based exit clause in his deal.