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Oscar Piastri has added his Formula 2 race engineer to his entourage for the 2026 F1 season. Piastri is chasing his first title this year after surrendering a comfortable lead last term.
The Australian was 34 points clear of McLaren teammate Lando Norris with nine races to go, but he ultimately finished 13 adrift. Piastri struggled on low-grip circuits, but there were also external questions about whether the pressure got to him.
According to Motorsport Italy, Piastri is reuniting with Pedro Matos, his right-hand man between 2017 and 2021, for the new season. Matos will become his first port of call during ‘the most critical moments’ of the season.
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Clearly, this will have ramifications for Piastri’s long-time managers, Mark Webber and Ann Neal.
Mark Webber will only handle Oscar Piastri’s ‘commercial’ affairs from now on
Webber and Neal will now focus on Piastri’s ‘commercial’ responsibilities, rather than racing. The McLaren driver wants to go in a ‘new direction’.
After a year marked by accusations of favouritism at McLaren (albeit coming from the outside), Piastri is prioritising ‘harmony’.
Will Piastri have a better career than any driver on this list?
While Webber was a successful F1 driver who fought for the title himself, the pivot to a ‘pure technician’ like Matos suggests that he wants something slightly different from his advisors.
Perhaps Matos is better equipped to help Piastri identify the specific weaknesses in his driving. Webber will, of course, still be available for advice when required.
What Mark Webber said about Oscar Piastri after 2025 F1 title defeat
As Piastri has become one of F1’s top drivers, sponsorship opportunities have followed. He has signed deals with a number of Australian companies including Quad Lock, Grill’d and Dubber.
It sounds as if Webber will now oversee these contracts, and enquiries about new partnerships will come to him. Like all of the sport’s elite, the challenge for Piastri is keeping enough space in his schedule to focus on racing.
Speaking last year, Piastri described Webber’s guidance as ‘invaluable’. The former Red Bull driver also battled a teammate for the title – Sebastian Vettel in 2010.
Webber praised Piastri’s maturity after the season finale in Abu Dhabi and predicted that he would ‘come back bigger and better’ in 2026.
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