Oscar Piastri’s future at McLaren has been thrust into the spotlight after fresh reports linked four-time world champion Max Verstappen with a sensational move to the British team.
Speculation intensified during the Austrian Grand Prix weekend after reports claimed Verstappen’s management had held informal discussions with McLaren, fuelling suggestions the Dutchman could replace Piastri despite the Australian being contracted until the end of 2028.
The rumours have centred on a potential driver swap that would see Verstappen leave Red Bull and Piastri move in the opposite direction.
McLaren, however, has firmly rejected the speculation and remains committed to its current pairing of Piastri and Lando Norris.
Formula1.com reported Verstappen’s representatives had an informal conversation with McLaren chief executive Zak Brown, but stressed such discussions are common throughout Formula One and should not be interpreted as negotiations over a deal.
Formula One correspondent Lawrence Barretto wrote that the conversation appeared to be little more than an exercise in assessing the driver market.
Max Verstappen has again been linked with a sensational move away from Red Bull
Speculation suggested Oscar Piastri could be the driver to make way at Red Bull
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He said discussions between teams, managers and drivers happen regularly as they gauge future opportunities, collect information and, at times, place pressure on existing employers during contract negotiations.
Barretto added that, ‘as it stands’, McLaren is not looking to move away from its Piastri-Norris driver line-up.
The latest speculation followed comments from Verstappen’s long-time manager Raymond Vermeulen, who said Red Bull remained the preferred destination provided the team could deliver a competitive car.
‘Our goal is to finish this adventure together with Red Bull,’ Vermeulen told Dutch publication De Telegraaf.
‘The spirit of Red Bull and the spirit of Verstappen, they match. We just need a package that allows us to fight at the front. That has always been the foundation.
‘We feel at home at Red Bull, but we want to be competitive. In the end, Max wasn’t born to race in the midfield.’
Vermeulen also made clear Verstappen was not yet committing to his long-term future.
‘We now have the time to focus on the car’s performance,’ he said.
McLaren maintains its priority is its partnership between Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris.
‘That has nothing to do with leaving or not leaving. We just want to see where we stand and how the car develops. And that means we don’t need to say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ right now.
‘We have agreements and we stick to them. And loyalty has always been our starting point, from both parties.’
Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies also attempted to quieten the speculation, insisting Verstappen has made his intentions clear.
‘Max has made clear to us that he wants to continue with the team,’ Mekies said.
‘It’s equally clear that he needs a fast car for him to be happy with the team.’
The rumours emerged as Piastri produced another solid performance in Austrian Grand Prix practice, finishing second behind championship leader Kimi Antonelli in the second session.
Piastri admitted Mercedes held the advantage on Friday but remained encouraged by McLaren’s progress.
‘We are still a step behind Mercedes, or Kimi at least, as we expected, but we tried a few things,’ Piastri said.
‘We’ve done our homework and it’s been pretty good. Kimi’s second lap on the softs was impressive. We need to learn a few things from each other.’
For now, the prospect of Verstappen replacing Piastri remains speculation rather than an active transfer pursuit, with both McLaren and Red Bull publicly maintaining their current drivers are central to their future plans.
