‘Several’ F1 insiders confirm Oscar Piastri is on Red Bull’s ‘radar’ if Max Verstappen leaves

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A recent report has detailed how ‘several’ F1 paddock insiders have confirmed that Oscar Piastri is now on Red Bull’s radar to replace Max Verstappen if he opts to leave the team.

The four-time world champion has been against F1’s new ruleset since his maiden voyage in the 2026 crop of cars, and is not currently guaranteed to continue racing in the sport for the Austrian constructor next season.

Max Verstappen’s contract with Red Bull runs until the end of 2028, but it’s no secret that the Dutchman has a performance-related clause in his deal that could see him depart at the end of a term if he’s not within the top two challengers in the title race by the summer.

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Oscar Piastri’s name has cropped up in multiple discussions regarding a potential replacement for Red Bull if Verstappen opts to take his talents elsewhere.

After the Australian cemented himself as a proven race-winner and championship candidate last year, he could certainly be the man to fill the 28-year-old’s void. Laurent Mekies is, of course, aware of this as well.

A swap has been touted between the Australian and his former title rival as well. Piastri’s ‘strained’ relationship with McLaren CEO Zak Brown puts him on the chopping block first over Lando Norris following their tumultuous title fight last year.

• READ MORE: Oscar Piastri has a perfect opportunity to become the main man at Red Bull if Max Verstappen leaves

F1 paddock figures confirm Oscar Piastri is ‘on Red Bull’s radar’

According to a recent report from Motorsport IT, the news of Piastri being on Red Bull’s radar amid Verstappen’s unhappiness with F1’s current ruleset was ‘confirmed several times’ inside the Miami Grand Prix paddock.

A move for Piastri is currently seen as a ‘Plan B’ for Mekies and Red Bull’s head of motorsport, Oliver Mintzlaff, which is reportedly ‘ready to be deployed’ in the event of Verstappen making an undesirable decision in favour of the Milton Keynes-based team.

With Red Bull currently on the back foot to their rivals in the F1 pecking order, it has been suggested that Mekies and co would like a fairly well-experienced driver to lead their charge.

The majority of drivers currently under Red Bull’s umbrella lack experience, with Verstappen’s current teammate, Isack Hadjar, representing an ‘investment in the future’ for the team, rather than an ‘immediate guarantee’ of success.

A swathe of F1 pundits have voiced their opinion on the move in the past, with Ralf Schumacher noting that he could ‘definitely’ see the switch happening, to which commentator Alex Jacques agrees.

It must be noted that Piastri’s current deal with McLaren keeps him at the team until the end of the 2027 term, and Zak Brown recently told viewers of Sky Sports F1 that he has no plans of making any amendments to his driver line-up in the foreseeable future.

However, stranger things have happened in the sport. The report identified that contracts are ‘never absolute barriers’, indicating that there can be room for negotiation if Piastri expresses a clear desire to hear Red Bull’s terms.

• READ MORE: Ralf Schumacher expects Red Bull ‘negotiations’ for Oscar Piastri if Max Verstappen joins McLaren