Oscar Piastri issues statement on Red Bull transfer interest

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Oscar Piastri issues statement on Red Bull transfer interest

Oscar Piastri has spoken out following persistent rumours over Red Bull's interest in his signature

Originally written by Kerry Violet. This version is a translation.

Sunday 31 May 2026 23:00

McLaren F1 star Oscar Piastri has been linked to a new team in recent weeks, and has issued an update on these rumours.

The Australian racer has started this new season in poor form, currently sat in sixth, 10 points behind Norris after losing out on the title to Norris last year too.

Reports have suggested that the young Aussie is being lined up by Red Bull as a future replacement for Max Verstappen, whose long-term future is also up for debate.

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Verstappen's current contract with the energy drink giants is set to run until the end of 2028, but just like last season, it is believed 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 of the electrification in the sport.

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

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 is 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 of Red Bull.

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?"

F1 McLaren Oscar Piastri