Juan Pablo Montoya, former Formula 1 driver, has stated that Oscar Piastri and his manager Mark Webber are certainly exploring opportunities with other teams.
The 2025 season sparked major debates within McLaren: while the team tried to maintain fairness between the two drivers, Lando Norris often seemed to be the favored one.
The British driver ultimately won the championship, while Piastri had to settle for third place, even behind Max Verstappen. In fact, the Australian experienced a performance drop in the second half of the season, losing the advantage he had previously built over his rivals.
Montoya’s comments
“I guarantee you that Oscar Piastri and Mark Webber are already talking with another F1 team,” Montoya stated. “I don’t think Mark Webber is satisfied with Oscar’s development at McLaren. Mark isn’t very happy with McLaren. But the real question is whether Oscar himself is very unhappy with the team.”
Oscar Piastri’s manager has faced a similar situation during his own career. From 2009 to 2013, Webber was Sebastian Vettel’s teammate at Red Bull. When the German started winning, the Australian was relegated to second driver, and relations with the team became strained.
Montoya therefore fears that Webber might make decisions about Oscar Piastri based on his personal history. “I think they need to be careful and ensure that Webber’s scars from his time as a driver have nothing to do with Oscar’s career.”
So, is looking around an idea from Piastri or Webber? Next year, the Australian will continue at McLaren, but the future is full of possibilities for a talent like him.
In conclusion, Juan Pablo Montoya’s comments suggest that the relationship between Oscar Piastri’s management and McLaren may be strained following the 2025 season. With Mark Webber’s own history as a “second driver” potentially influencing his guidance, the paddock will be watching closely to see if one of F1’s brightest young stars decides to seek a new home where he can be the undisputed lead driver.
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