Oscar Piastri poses Max Verstappen theory behind McLaren rumours

Oscar Piastri has insisted he is in a “very comfortable” position at McLaren after receiving assurances from chief executive Zak Brown and team principal Andrea Stella.

And he believes Max Verstappen is currently “exploring options” with Red Bull “not in a great position.”

Oscar Piastri: Max Verstappen ‘exploring options’ away from Red Bull

Want more PlanetF1.com coverage? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list for news you can trust

PlanetF1.com reported earlier this month that Verstappen is in advanced talks with McLaren over a potential move to the Woking-based team.

Although Verstappen is officially under contract with Red Bull until the end of the 2028 season, it is believed that a clause in his deal will allow him to walk away from the team if he is lower than second place in the championship at the summer break.

Seventh-placed Verstappen trails George Russell, the driver currently occupying second place, by 78 points with just 50 available before the August shutdown, with his exit clause set to come into play.

It is thought that Piastri, not teammate and reigning world champion Lando Norris, would be the driver most at risk of losing his McLaren seat if Verstappen commits to leaving Red Bull as soon as 2027.

A final decision by Verstappen is expected in due course.

What we’re hearing: Max Verstappen in advanced talks to leave Red Bull for McLaren

Max Verstappen closes in on alleged McLaren decision in rumoured Red Bull exit

Why Max Verstappen to McLaren has become impossible to ignore

Speaking to PlanetF1.com and other media outlets ahead of this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix, Piastri revealed that McLaren has been “very reassuring” amid rumours surrounding Verstappen’s future.

And he has likened the situation to the summer of 2025 when Verstappen was heavily linked with a switch to Mercedes before opting to remain at Red Bull.

Piastri said: “I’ve obviously seen some of it and heard some of it.

“For me, I’m very comfortable with where I am and where I sit. Zak and Andrea and the whole team have been great through all that. Very reassuring – and I’ve been the same to them!

“But clearly, Max is feeling that maybe he’s not in a great position at the moment or exploring options.

“It was the same thing last year with him and Mercedes, so it’s nothing new, but I’m very happy with where I’m at, where things are at and how it’s going.”

Rumours around the time of Red Bull’s home race in Austria last month claimed that Verstappen’s representatives had met with McLaren over a potential deal.

Asked directly if it is possible that McLaren’s management is in talks with Verstappen, Piastri replied: “I don’t know. I’m not really that bothered.

“I think it’s important for people to know where things sit, where the market sits. Any information you can get is good.

“I trust the team here and the things I’ve been told and the belief in me, so that’s all I really care about.”

Piastri signed a multi-year contract extension ahead of his home race in Melbourne in March 2025, with the deal believed to tie him to the team until at least the end of 2028 – the year Verstappen’s Red Bull contract expires.

Piastri’s comments come after Verstappen himself refused to offer clues regarding his future in Thursday’s FIA press conference at Spa.

As reported by PlanetF1.com, Verstappen offered a series of short and one-word answers when pressed on his future before being asked if he wants to remain at Red Bull for 2027.

Verstappen replied: “I don’t want to go say yes and no, and this and that about my future.

“I said already many times that if there was something new, I would say it myself.”

McLaren secured the signing of Verstappen’s long-serving Red Bull race engineer GianPiero Lambiase earlier this year, sparking suggestions that the four-time world champion could follow suit.

Lambiase is set to arrive at McLaren in the role of chief racing officer no later than 2028.

Sources have indicated to PlanetF1.com that Lambiase could be positioned to eventually succeed Stella as McLaren team principal.

Additional reporting by Thomas Maher and Mat Coch

Want to be the first to know exclusive information from the F1 paddock? Join our broadcast channel on WhatsApp to get the scoop on the latest developments from our team of accredited journalists.

You can also subscribe to the PlanetF1 YouTube channel for exclusive features, hear from our paddock journalists with stories from the heart of Formula 1 and much more!

Read next: The moment McLaren overtook Mercedes in the race to sign Max Verstappen