Lando Norris
McLaren
Mercedes
Red Bull
Ferrari
Williams
Racing Bulls
Aston Martin
Haas
Alpine
Oscar Piastri learnt exactly how his manager Mark Webber felt 15 years ago after this season’s finale in Abu Dhabi.
Both Australian drivers went into their season finales needing results to go their way, and unfortunately for Mark Webber and Oscar Piastri, they both ultimately fell short.
Piastri could have won the drivers’ championship by finishing second at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, but Max Verstappen’s victory and Lando Norris joining him on the podium meant he had to settle for P3 in the standings.
Finish the sentence: In his Formula 1 career, Oscar PIastri will win ____ titles
Despite this, the praise has been pouring in for the 24-year-old after his most successful Formula 1 campaign to date.
Damon Hill and Martin Brundle think Piastri is a future world champion based on what they’ve seen over the past three years.
Norris paid tribute to Piastri, and Webber has now revealed what he told the McLaren star in the build-up to his final race of 2025.
READ MORE: McLaren driver Oscar Piastri’s life outside F1 from height to girlfriend
Oscar Piastri called a ‘class act’ after Mark Webber conversation before the Abu Dhabi GP
Webber was asked on Channel 4 about his protege after Sunday’s race, and he said: “He drove well tonight. It was a long season, a lot of moments where you build character. There’s no question about it, up against Max and Lando.
“They’ve got a lot of experience. There’s some great moments for him, some tough moments, and that’s what elite sport’s about, isn’t it?
“It’s a rollercoaster, bank the learnings, put those into next year, move on as quickly as you can, and come back bigger and better next year.”
Presenter Steve Jones then said: “You talk about character that moment on the grid, where Oscar went across to Norris’ family and hugged them and congratulated them.
“Come on, that’s just a class act.”
Oscar Piastri’s classy response to losing the title to Lando Norris
Do you think the relationship between Piastri and Norris will last at McLaren? Comment below!
Webber replied: “We had a little chat actually before the race, just about some of that stuff, and I know he had it in hand, but it’s just something which it’s not always in front of mind when you’ve lost the championship.
“But he’s got such a great presence of mind. He’s very mature for his age in certain areas, of course.
“So it was great to see that. And that was obviously genuine. They’ve put a lot into it too, and that’s a chapter for them, but also he’s got a look at the future.”
READ MORE: All you need to know about McLaren F1 Team from team principal to engine
Mark Webber has F1 suitors to deal with as Oscar Piastri attracts interest in the F1 driver market
Webber will hope that Piastri’s follow-up campaign to this season is better than his response to missing out on the 2010 championship on the final day.
He finished third to Sebastian Vettel and Jenson Button the following year, but was 134 points off his Red Bull teammate.
Piastri will be keen to see how McLaren try and keep things fair between himself and Norris, but if he’s not happy with the treatment he’s receiving, then other teams in the paddock will look to quickly pounce.
Ralf Schumacher thinks Aston Martin are keeping a close eye on Piastri as they look to turn their obvious potential with Adrian Newey and Honda supporting them into results.
The rumours in the paddock in Abu Dhabi were that Piastri is looking to join Red Bull in 2027.
Whether that’s as Verstappen’s teammate or replacement is another matter entirely, but there are a handful of top drivers who could be at the centre of next year’s silly season, and Piastri is certainly one of them.
Receive exclusive F1 news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
