Mark Webber, the manager of Oscar Piastri, has rallied against the talk that his client is pushing to leave McLaren.<\/p>\n
Webber\u2019s public batting away of this theory comes at a time when Piastri\u2019s McLaren future is in the spotlight, amid strengthening talk of a Max Verstappen to McLaren move. But, Webber stresses that Piastri<\/a> is \u201ccontracted to McLaren for the foreseeable future,\u201d and that the idea of Piastri wanting to leave McLaren is \u201cnonsense.\u201d<\/p>\n Mark Webber breaks silence on Oscar Piastri McLaren status<\/p>\n Want more PlanetF1.com coverage? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list<\/a> for news you can trust.<\/p>\n Verstappen to McLaren has morphed from rumour into the major F1 2026 talking point in the aftermath of the British Grand Prix.<\/p>\n Piastri, meanwhile, finds himself speculated as the driver most likely to make way if Verstappen arrived. There was talk of Piastri joining Red Bull in a straight seat swap.<\/p>\n Unfounded rumours even suggested that Piastri is unhappy at McLaren and wanted to consider his options. Webber has put a firm stop to that talk.<\/p>\n Piastri dropped to sixth in the Drivers\u2019 Championship after the British Grand Prix. It is believed that this leaves the Melbourne native vulnerable, outside of the top five in the standings, as he is subject to a performance clause.<\/p>\n However, sources close to Piastri have described the idea to Fox Sports that he could trigger his McLaren exit, or be moved aside, as \u201cpurely speculative.\u201d<\/p>\n All the while, multiple paddock sources have suggested to PlanetF1.com that McLaren and Verstappen have reached the closing stages of a lengthy negotiation.<\/p>\n Piastri\u2019s manager, former Red Bull driver Mark Webber, has made it clear that Piastri is not trying to engineer a McLaren exit from his side.<\/p>\n \u201cOscar is contracted to McLaren for the foreseeable future,\u201d Webber told RACER<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cTalk of him agitating to leave is nonsense.<\/p>\n \u201cThere has been a lot of fiction written about him and other teams\u2026 McLaren have repeatedly said they want him for the long term and Oscar is focused on that.\u201d<\/p>\n More on Oscar Piastri from PlanetF1.com<\/p>\n How Verstappen\u2019s McLaren move could hinge on Piastri\u2019s F1 future<\/a><\/p>\n Max Verstappen closes in on alleged McLaren decision in rumoured Red Bull exit<\/a><\/p>\n Indeed, McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown, speaking at Silverstone before the rumours entered overdrive, hushed the idea of a bid to sign Verstappen.<\/p>\n Piastri also spoke confidently about his position within McLaren.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve got a contract in place,\u201d he told PlanetF1.com and others. \u201cI\u2019ve had multiple reassurances that the team are very happy with me, and I\u2019m very happy with the team.<\/p>\n \u201cSo for me, I\u2019m very happy where I am, happy with the situation I\u2019m in, and I\u2019m just trying to continue the success that we\u2019ve had in the last few years.\u201d<\/p>\n Additional reporting by Thomas Maher<\/p>\n Want to be the first to know exclusive information from the F1 paddock? Join our broadcast channel on WhatsApp<\/a> to get the scoop on the latest developments from our team of accredited journalists.<\/p>\n You can also subscribe to the PlanetF1 YouTube channel<\/a> for exclusive features, hear from our paddock journalists with stories from the heart of Formula 1 and much more!<\/p>\n