Oscar Piastri 'flattered' by Red Bull F1 interest

McLaren F1 star Oscar Piastri has responded to growing rumours that rival team Red Bull have been eyeing him up to replace a potentially outgoing Max Verstappen.

The four-time champion announced his intention to stay in F1 next season during last weekend's Canadian Grand Prix, but failed to explicitly mention his Red Bull future or rule out a move to another team.

Verstappen's current contract with the energy drink giants is set to run until the end of 2028, but just like last season, there are performance clauses within his agreement that could allow the Dutchman to depart even earlier than that.

The 28-year-old's dislike of this year's new regulations has continued to dominate the headlines, with Dutch media claiming he is 'seriously considering' retirement as a result.

But regardless of whether Verstappen opts for a move to Mercedes, McLaren, or away from F1 altogether, Red Bull must have a backup plan in place.

And according to the overactive F1 rumour mill, Piastri is their contingency plan.

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Piastri on F1 team swap: Why change?

Between the Miami and Canadian GP, reports spread that Piastri was first in line to replace Verstappen in Red Bull's eyes should their star driver ever opt to leave the Milton Keynes-based squad.

Piastri's own contract with McLaren is set to run until at least the end of 2028 as well, but following last year's papaya rules saga with team-mate Lando Norris, it wouldn't be completely unreasonable to suggest the Aussie star could be in favour of a change of scenery.

Should Verstappen exit Red Bull, it would leave a gaping hole at the team who often adhere to a No.1 driver setup, with Piastri potentially in line to take over as the star.

But when asked in Canada about the team's rumoured interest in him should Verstappen leave, Piastri said: "There's obviously not been any discussions or anything but it's flattering, yes. There's not really much more than that, really.

"Hopefully it proves my stock as a driver, which is a nice thing, but I'm very happy with where I am.

"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, so I'm very happy where I am."

During an interview with Sky Sports F1, Piastri added: "I've got a good relationship with McLaren, so why change?"

READ MORE: Red Bull are preparing for life after Verstappen and they just proved it

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