The Formula 1 rumor mill has been spinning at a dizzying pace lately, but Mark Webber has officially stepped in to slam the brakes on the “nonsense” speculation surrounding his star protégé, Oscar Piastri.
With paddock whispers linking Max Verstappen to McLaren, gossip columnists have been eagerly trying to figure out who would get the boot to make room for the four-time world champion.
But Webber, who manages the 25-year-old Australian sensation, isn't having any of it. He has made it clear that Piastri is fully committed to the papaya squad and isn't looking for an exit sign.
Webber shuts down the fiction
The rumor-mongers were out in full force earlier this week, fueled by the conjecture surrounding the future of Max Verstappen in F1 sparked by the Dutchman’s frustration with Red Bull’s struggles.
The revelation that the four-time world champion’s management held a meeting with McLaren in Austria led to suggestions that Piastri might find himself as the odd man out. But that narrative has been completely obliterated by Webber.
“Oscar is contracted to McLaren for the foreseeable future,” Webber told RACER. “Talk of him agitating to leave is nonsense.”
Piastri had an incredible campaign last year, sealing third place in the drivers' championship while his teammate Lando Norris clinched the world title.
Despite his stellar form, the 25-year-old Aussie has borne the brunt of the "what-if" contract scenarios. Webber, however, insists the driver and the team are completely aligned.
“There has been a lot of fiction written about him and other teams… McLaren have repeatedly said they want him for the long term and Oscar is focused on that,” Webber added.
No room in the papaya inn
McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown had already backed up Webber's stance, repeatedly clarifying that he has zero intention of dismantling his current powerhouse lineup just to chase Verstappen.
While a driver of the Durtchman’s caliber always causes a stir, Brown is fiercely loyal to the duo currently delivering results for his team.
“I’m very happy with my two racing drivers, Lando and Oscar,” Brown said at Silverstone. “And I think any time a name like Max is thrown around everyone gets pretty excited – a four-time world champion – but I’m very happy with our driver line-up.”
When pressed on what kind of lucrative deal he could potentially pitch to Verstappen to lure him away from his current stable, Brown gave a remarkably blunt reality check.
“I haven’t really thought about [what I could offer Verstappen] because I’ve got two drivers in the seats. So, what I couldn’t offer him was a seat in my race car.”
He further put a lid on the speculation by confirming that any back-and-forth chatter regarding the Dutchman was dead in the water.
“[Any talks] didn’t go anywhere. I’ve got my two drivers, so there’s nothing to report,” he concluded.
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