Oscar Piastri has responded to speculation linking him with a potential move to Red Bull, calling the reported interest “flattering” whilst maintaining his commitment to McLaren.
An Autosport report during the gap between the Miami and Canadian Grands Prix identified the Australian as Red Bull’s preferred alternative should Max Verstappen depart at season’s end.
Speaking in Canada, Piastri acknowledged the reports caught him off guard. “It is news to me, yes,” he said.
“There’s obviously not been any discussions or anything but it’s flattering, yes.”
Oscar Piastri could be heading to Red Bull if Max Verstappen quits
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The 24-year-old, whose McLaren deal extends until at least 2028, expressed strong faith in his current team’s trajectory.
“I’ve got a lot of confidence in this team that we’re going to be able to win races and hopefully championships in the future,” he stated.
In a separate interview with Sky Sports F1, Piastri posed a simple question: “I’ve got a good relationship with McLaren, so why change?”
Verstappen’s situation at Red Bull remains fluid despite his contract running through 2028. Performance clauses within the agreement reportedly permit the Dutchman to leave earlier under specific conditions.
One such clause would allow an exit at the end of this campaign if Verstappen sits outside the championship’s top two positions by the summer break.
Max Verstappen has already sensationally threatened to quit Formula One at the end of the season if planned changes to the sport’s controversial engine regulations are blocked
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With six races remaining before the August recess, the four-time world champion currently occupies seventh place in the drivers’ standings.
Mercedes has been repeatedly linked with the 27-year-old.
The new era of car and engine regulations that began this season has prompted Verstappen to question whether he wishes to continue racing in Formula 1 beyond this year.
During the Montreal weekend, the Dutchman indicated that modifications to the 2027 rulebook would likely be necessary to persuade him to remain in the sport.
Such uncertainty surrounding the reigning champion’s future has intensified speculation about potential successors at Red Bull, with Piastri emerging as the team’s apparent first-choice replacement.
However, the Australian insisted the speculation does little to alter his outlook. “Hopefully it proves my stock as a driver, which is a nice thing, but I’m very happy with where I am,” he said.
Oscar Piastri has two podium finishes this season at Japan (2nd) and Miami (3rd)
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McLaren chief executive Zak Brown expressed no surprise at rival teams coveting his drivers, telling The Athletic: “I would imagine there’s not a team on the grid that wouldn’t want to have Oscar and Lando driving for them.”
Brown emphasised that retaining talent requires more than contractual obligations. “You don’t want to hold someone because you’ve got a piece of paper,” he explained, adding that McLaren’s priority is fostering an environment where people genuinely want to be.
Max Verstappen has won four F1 titles in his career so far | GETTY/GB NEWS
The Woking outfit experienced a difficult Canadian Grand Prix, with a strategic gamble on intermediate tyres backfiring when anticipated rain failed to arrive.
Norris retired with gearbox problems whilst Piastri finished eleventh after receiving a penalty for colliding with Alex Albon.
