Oscar Piastri has firmly stated that he is not interested in moving to Red Bull after Helmut Marko sparked those rumors.
Piastri made his Formula 1 debut with McLaren in 2023, after a surprising switch from Alpine that went to F1’s Contract Recognition Board. Since then, he has made a name for himself, winning his first grand prix races at the Hungarian and Azerbaijan GPs in 2024. Recently, however, there has been talk of another major career change.
On the eve of the Mexican Grand Prix, where McLaren leads Red Bull by 40 points in the Constructors’ Championship, Red Bull’s advisor Helmut Marko made a surprising claim. He suggested that Mark Webber, Piastri’s manager and a former Red Bull driver, was looking to initiate conversations about a potential move.
“Let’s put it this way: Mark Webber is intensively seeking conversation,” Marko told F1-Insider.com regarding that rumor.
However, Piastri addressed the media before the Mexican GP and made it clear he would not be joining Red Bull. He even threw in a light-hearted comment directed at Marko amid the ongoing rivalry between McLaren and Red Bull.
When asked if a move to Red Bull was possible given Marko’s comments about Webber, Piastri responded, “Definitely not. I’m very happy where I am. I’m under contract for the next two years after this, and I’m certainly not looking to go elsewhere. So, it wouldn’t be a week in F1 without some comments from Helmut!”
Piastri sees Marko’s comments as a “compliment,” but if Red Bull wants to change drivers, he suggests they look at their current options.
Sergio Perez’s future with Red Bull has become a hot topic again, especially after Liam Lawson’s strong performance with the junior team VCARB in Austin. Red Bull also has F2 title contender Isack Hadjar and Super Formula driver Ayumu Iwasa ready to step up.
When asked if he was surprised to hear about Red Bull’s interest in him, Piastri said, “Not massively. I mean, it’s a nice compliment, I would say.”
