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Oscar Piastri is considering terminating his contract at McLaren, which would open the door for Max Verstappen to replace him, according to reports.
The Australian has been linked with a move away from the Woking outfit since the end of the 2025 season. Piastri lost the championship to teammate Lando Norris, finishing third, and tensions arose in the aftermath of McLaren’s team orders.
Piastri’s camp believed he was treated unfairly under the ‘papaya rules’, leading to a strained relationship between his manager, Mark Webber, and McLaren. Speculation has been rife about his future, and he now may have made his decision.
Which team should Oscar Piastri join if he leaves McLaren?
Oscar Piastri considering terminating his McLaren contract and could swap seats with Max Verstappen
The 24-year-old is contracted until 2028, but it recently emerged that Piastri could activate an exit clause if he is outside the top five of the standings this summer. After the British GP, he is sitting sixth, and according to Grande Premio, he is considering his departure.
The report claims that Piastri is thinking about ‘activating his release clause and terminating his contract’ in 2026. Papaya rules and the 2025 season ‘destabilised’ his relationship with McLaren and ‘exposed internal friction’ between Webber and the team’s leadership.
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Should he decide to leave, it would open the door to perhaps the biggest bombshell in the F1 driver market: Verstappen to McLaren.
Verstappen has been linked with McLaren in recent weeks as he considers his future with Red Bull and in F1 altogether. He has been open about his criticism of the 2026 regulations and blasted the RB22 after retiring at Silverstone with another rear wing failure.
Like Piastri, he too is free to break his contract in 2026. Verstappen can leave Red Bull if he is outside the top two by the summer break – that can now be activated as it is not mathematically possible for him to catch George Russell – currently P2 – by that stage.
Where would Max Verstappen and Lando Norris rank among McLaren’s greatest line-ups?
If the reported claim is true, the most likely outcome is a straight swap between the drivers. Verstappen would join McLaren, with right-hand man Gianpiero Lambiase joining the team the following year from Red Bull, and Piastri would end up in Milton Keynes.
Piastri has been linked with Red Bull for some time, with the team identifying him as the ideal replacement for Verstappen. However, they are not the only option, as Webber has been talking to Audi over a possible deal for his driver.
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