Piastri calm over Verstappen McLaren rumours as he backs current deal

Oscar Piastri has played down fresh speculation linking Max Verstappen with McLaren, insisting he has received firm backing from the team and remains committed to seeing out his current agreement.

Piastri unmoved by McLaren seat speculation

Piastri, however, was direct in his response. Asked on media day how the speculation had affected him, the Australian said it carried little weight from his perspective.

His stance mirrors that of Lando Norris, who has also faced questions on the subject before the British Grand Prix. For more on the other side of McLaren’s response, read our report on how Norris played down Verstappen McLaren talk as driver-market intrigue intensified.

McLaren’s current line-up remains publicly backed

Piastri is on a multi-year deal and intends to fulfil it, having first joined McLaren as a rookie in 2023. His confidence is grounded not only in contractual security but also in performance. Last season, he produced the strongest campaign of his Formula 1 career so far, finishing third in the standings and missing the Drivers’ Championship by 13 points to Norris.

Together, Piastri and Norris have delivered McLaren’s most successful spell as a team since the 1990s. CEO Zak Brown and Team Principal Andrea Stella have both publicly backed the existing line-up, reinforcing the message that McLaren sees no immediate need to disrupt a partnership that has already delivered.

British Grand Prix expectations remain measured

On track, Piastri remains pragmatic. McLaren has been surpassed by Mercedes, Ferrari and, at times, Red Bull under the new regulations, but still sits among the frontrunners.

“Difficult to know,” he said of the British Grand Prix picture. “I think everyone is a little up and down at the moment apart from Mercedes, they are the constant challenge at the very front.”

Piastri added that Austria had been hard to interpret, with McLaren’s qualifying and race expectations shifting, Ferrari proving less strong than anticipated on Sunday, and Verstappen showing more pace than expected.

“I think we should be somewhere near the front, where exactly I don't know but we're still missing that final step to really challenge for wins,” he said. “As long as we put our best foot forward, I think we're in the running for hopefully podiums.”