Mark Webber dismisses Oscar Piastri McLaren exit rumors as 'nonsense'

Oscar Piastri's manager Mark Webber has shut down speculation suggesting the Australian is seeking a way out of McLaren, calling such reports "nonsense" and "fiction." The rumors gained traction amid suggestions that Max Verstappen could join the team, potentially displacing Piastri, but Webber insists his driver remains locked into McLaren for the long haul.

Why it matters:

Piastri has become a foundational piece of McLaren's Formula 1 project, and any uncertainty over his future would destabilize a team currently battling at the sharp end of the grid. The speculation highlights how volatile the driver market becomes when a champion like Verstappen is linked to a move, yet McLaren's public commitment to Piastri signals the squad sees him as central to its title ambitions rather than expendable.

The details:

• Webber, a former Red Bull grand prix winner who now manages Piastri, told RACER that claims of the Australian agitating to leave are entirely baseless.
• Piastri is in his fourth season with McLaren in 2026 and is contracted to the team for the foreseeable future, according to Webber.
• Despite Verstappen being heavily linked to McLaren in recent weeks, sources close to the situation maintain that "nothing has changed" between Piastri and the team.
• McLaren has repeatedly stated its intention to retain Piastri long-term, with Webber noting that the 24-year-old is fully focused on delivering results for the Woking-based outfit.

What's next:

Webber's forceful denial should cool speculation linking Piastri with an early exit, though the broader question of McLaren's interest in Verstappen may linger until the driver market settles. For Piastri, the priority remains extracting maximum performance from his McLaren as the team chases victories deep into the 2026 campaign.