©McLaren
The 2026 title fight hasn't even begun, but Oscar Piastri is already shifting the chess pieces in his inner circle.
Former Grand Prix driver Mark Webber, who has long stood as mentor, manager and trackside confidant to his fellow Australian, is easing away from his race-weekend presence ahead of the 2026 season, according to a report from PlanetF1.
The move signals evolution rather than separation. Webber is not disappearing from Piastri’s orbit; instead, he is expected to pivot his focus toward commercial negotiations and contractual strategy, leaving day-to-day paddock duties in new hands.
Stepping into a more visible role is Pedro Matos – the engineer who worked alongside Piastri during his 2021 Formula 2 title triumph with Prema Racing.
The Portuguese specialist is believed to be joining the driver’s inner circle to offer technical insight and race-weekend guidance, providing a familiar voice from one of the most successful chapters of Piastri’s junior career.
Importantly, Matos is understood not to be a direct McLaren employee, but rather an external advisor whose remit centers on performance support and motorsport expertise. The arrangement suggests a deliberate strengthening of Piastri’s technical backing as expectations around the young star continue to rise.
Piastri enters 2026 preparing for his fourth Formula 1 campaign, having rapidly transformed from promising rookie into established front-runner.
Two victories in 2024 laid the groundwork, while a dominant 2025 McLaren season saw him match team-mate Lando Norris with seven wins and briefly seize a commanding championship lead mid-year.
Yet momentum proved fragile. A late-season dip curtailed his title charge, and he ultimately finished third in the standings as Norris clinched the crown in Abu Dhabi.
Webber’s reduced trackside presence, paired with Matos’s arrival, reflects a driver and management team recalibrating for the next leap forward.
Rather than a farewell, it appears to be a strategic redistribution of roles – a sign that Piastri’s camp is preparing not just to compete in 2026, but to contend with sharper precision and renewed ambition.
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