Mark Webber steps back as Oscar Piastri expands support team

Mark Webber has stepped back from his trackside support role with McLaren driver Oscar Piastri ahead of the F1 2026 season, it has emerged.

It comes after Piastri added Pedro Matos, his race engineer from his title-winning 2021 F2 season, to his inner circle.

Mark Webber takes step back from Oscar Piastri trackside role

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Piastri is preparing for his fourth season in F1 in 2026 having joined McLaren ahead of the 2023 campaign.

After winning twice in 2024, the Australian emerged as a title contender during McLaren’s dominant 2025 season, equalling teammate Lando Norris’s tally of seven victories.

Piastri held a 34-point lead at one stage following Norris’s retirement at the Dutch Grand Prix last August.

However, a dip in form saw him collect just three podium finishes across the final nine races.

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Piastri ultimately finished third in the final standings, behind Max Verstappen, as Norris secured a maiden world championship at the season finale in Abu Dhabi.

Piastri has been managed by Webber and his partner Ann Neal for most of his racing career, with the former Red Bull driver – who also works as a Formula 1 television pundit – by his side at most races.

It has emerged ahead of the new season that Webber is to step back from his trackside support role to focus on commercial and contractual matters in 2026 with Matos stepping in.

PlanetF1.com understands that Webber, whose role remains unchanged, will only attend select races in F1 2026 with Matos attending most – if not every – round of the 24-race season.

Matos, of Portugal, served as Piastri’s race engineer during his title-winning F2 season with Prema in 2021.

Piastri won six races over the course of 2021 en route to the F2 championship, following in the footsteps of the likes of Charles Leclerc and George Russell by winning the F3 and F2 titles in successive years. Gabriel Bortoleto, the current Audi F1 driver, went on to equal the feat in 2023/24.

PlanetF1.com understands that Matos is working with Piastri to provide extra support and motorsport expertise on race weekends and is not a direct employee of the McLaren team.

Piastri is also set to continue working in 2026 with Emma Murray, a prominent Australian sports psychologist.

Additional reporting by Mat Coch

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