Oscar Piastri sets date to decide his McLaren future amid links with Ferrari and Red Bull

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Oscar Piastri signed a new long-term contract to commit his future to McLaren before he emerged as an F1 title contender in 2025, yet his days in papaya could end in 2026.

The 24-year-old put pen to paper on a new contract keeping him at McLaren until 2028 just days before the 2025 campaign started last March. It proved to be a great bit of business for the team, as Piastri would lead the 2025 F1 drivers’ championship longer than anyone else.

Piastri became the first Australian to top the standings since his manager Mark Webber back in 2010 after sealing victory in the 2025 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. He ultimately sat atop the table for 189 of a possible 266 days, until teammate Lando Norris dethroned him in October.

Norris held on to win his maiden F1 title by only two points over Max Verstappen of Red Bull and 13 over Piastri in third place. Piastri had even led Norris by 34 points and Verstappen by 104 after the first 15 of the 24 rounds, but his title bid crumbled as the season wound down.

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Oscar Piastri will decide his McLaren future in the middle of the 2026 F1 season

Monza marked the start of the Melbourne native’s malaise after McLaren ordered Piastri to hand P2 in the Italian Grand Prix back to Norris. He struggled to overcome the mental blow, and McLaren blaming Piastri for his COTA Sprint crash with Norris did not help the situation.

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Questions about Piastri’s future at McLaren also began to surface after the team refused to intervene when Norris banged wheels with his overtake for P3 at the start of the Singapore Grand Prix. Now, Automoto.it reports that Piastri intends to consider his options for 2027.

Piastri will wait until the middle of the 2026 F1 season before sitting down with Webber to discuss his future at McLaren. The nine-time Grand Prix winner wants to first evaluate how McLaren and their rival teams adapt to F1’s 2026 regulations before making any decisions.

Red Bull and Ferrari are monitoring Oscar Piastri’s situation at McLaren

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McLaren are fully aware of the threat that Piastri could use a release clause in his contract to leave the team at the end of the 2026 season. So, it is said that McLaren are particularly interested in Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, should Piastri decide he does not want to stay there.

Leclerc and Piastri could even swap seats or become teammates in 2027, as the latter is also said to be on the Scuderia’s radar. Team principal Fred Vasseur sees Piastri as an option for Ferrari to replace Lewis Hamilton, with uncertainty surrounding the Briton’s future, as well.

Maranello is currently considered the Melbourne native’s most likely landing spot, should he ultimately opt to walk out of Woking. But Ferrari’s historical problems concern Piastri and he wants to see how the Scuderia adapt to F1’s 2026 regulations before deciding on any switch.

There have also been suggestions that Piastri is looking to join Red Bull in 2027, which could gain further traction if Verstappen decides to end his contract early. Verstappen can activate his release clause if he is not ranked in the top two in the F1 drivers’ standings this summer.