‘Piastri will leave McLaren.’ Guenther Steiner, the former long-standing Haas team principal, believes that Oscar Piastri could leave McLaren if he fails to secure the World Championship with the team. Speaking on the Red Flags podcast, the 60-year-old said that Piastri’s talent and age make him an attractive long-term option for several top teams on the grid. According to Steiner, ‘other teams would snap him up in a heartbeat’.
Steiner made these comments during a turbulent phase for Piastri, whose promising World Championship challenge has lost momentum in recent weeks. Despite having extended his McLaren contract until the end of 2028, Steiner argues that the Australian driver may still consider a change of scenery if his goals are not met.
A Season of Highs and Sudden Struggles
Oscar Piastri’s 2025 campaign began as one of the season’s standout stories. After a modest ninth-place finish in the chaotic opening race in Melbourne, Piastri’s performance improved dramatically.
From the Chinese Grand Prix through to Monza, a stretch of fifteen Grands Prix, the Australian delivered remarkable consistency, appearing on the podium fourteen times. This sustained performance established him as a genuine title contender, and for much of the summer he was the championship leader.
However, the momentum shifted abruptly after the Singapore Grand Prix. Piastri fell behind his teammate, Lando Norris, in the title race and has not appeared on the podium since Monza. A series of defeats to Norris, coupled with strategic misfortune and a few uncharacteristic errors, have contributed to a downturn in results.
Steiner cites this decline as a pivotal reason why Piastri may re-evaluate his long-term prospects at McLaren, despite the security offered by his multi-year contract extension.
Steiner believes in Piastri’s potential elsewhere
Guenther Steiner is well known for his candid evaluations of driver performance and the competitive landscape. On the podcast, he praised Piastri’s driving skills and emphasised his adaptability: “He’s a fabulous driver, and change can sometimes do a driver good. He’s also young enough to adapt to a new environment. He should leave McLaren, and I believe he will,” Steiner remarked.
From Steiner’s perspective, Piastri’s value lies not only in his current pace, but also in his long-term potential. With several top teams expected to undergo significant changes in the coming seasons, whether through shifts in the driver line-up or strategic restructuring, Piastri could become a prime target for outfits seeking a future title challenger.
Meanwhile, McLaren has been building its programme around a balanced driver pairing in Piastri and Norris. However, the internal competition between the two drivers, while beneficial from a performance standpoint, has jeopardised Piastri’s title campaign at a critical juncture. If the team is unable to help him convert his early-season form into championship success, Steiner believes the Australian may pursue an opportunity where he is the clear central focus.
Pirelli admit to being conservative with 2026 F1 tyre design
The Championship Context: Pressure Rising
With only a handful of races remaining, the title race is becoming increasingly competitive. Lando Norris currently leads the standings, 24 points ahead of Piastri. Behind them, Max Verstappen is 25 points behind the Australian, which is well within striking distance given his recent form.
Steiner predicts that the triple world champion will overtake Piastri to take second place before the end of the season.
“I think Oscar will lose second place to Verstappen,” he stated. “Just look at what’s happened recently. If Oscar really is mentally shaken, then Max will overtake him, no question.”
In Steiner’s view, the psychological element could be decisive. Piastri has been under increasing pressure since losing the championship lead, while Verstappen continues to show his trademark resilience despite facing occasional setbacks.
Christian Horner meets F1 CEO and Zak Brown in an F1 return bid
Verstappen’s renewed motivation
One example Steiner highlighted was Verstappen’s performance in Brazil. After a challenging practice session left him in 16th place, Verstappen made a remarkable comeback, ultimately reaching the podium.
“Max is practically bursting with motivation right now,” Steiner explained. “Even after such a dismal practice session, he rolled up his sleeves and ended up on the podium. That’s something few can match.”
Such displays reinforce Steiner’s belief that Verstappen will exploit any weakness from Piastri in the remaining rounds. They also highlight the level of competition Piastri must overcome, both within McLaren and against one of the most determined drivers on the grid.
A return of a Grand Prix… set to happen?
What comes next for Piastri?
While Piastri’s future at McLaren remains secure on paper, Steiner’s comments reflect broader uncertainties. If McLaren cannot provide a stable, championship-winning environment, the Australian may eventually seek other opportunities, particularly if the closing races reinforce the downward trend in performance.
For now, the focus remains on the final chapters of the 2025 season. Whether Piastri can bounce back and re-establish himself in the fight for the title may be crucial not only for this year’s championship standings, but also for his long-term relationship with McLaren.
NEXT ARTICLE – Leclerc repeatedly contacted by another F1 team
The huge fanfare surrounding the arrival of Lewis Hamilton in Maranello was amplified by the fact that Ferrari had the quickest car come the end of 2024. Across the final six race weekends they closed a 74 point gap to the championship leaders, to fall short of the constructors’ title in Abu Dhabi by just 14 points.
Yet 2025 has been a year of misery for the Scuderia and had Mercedes and Red Bull had a second driver contributing anything like the results of their team leader’s Ferrari would now be a distant fourth in this years title race.
Lewis Hamilton has set the record for a Ferrari driver failing to score a podium since arriving with the team and the likelihood he will go all year without making the Sunday presentation remains high.
Leclerc lightning in qualifying
Charles Leclerc, in his seventh year with the Red team has seven podiums from 21 outings, his latest being at the Mexican Grand Prix dominated by Lando Norris. He will complete his 150th start for Ferrari at the season finale in Abu Dhabi, only Michael Schumacher and Kimi Raikkonen have racked up more in the team’s 75 year history.
Raikkonen is also the last Ferrari driver to have won the F1 championship, having come from nowhere to pip lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso at the last race in 2007. The Scuderia are experiencing their longest ever drought in winning the constructors’ championship, this year makes the number eighteen years.
The Monegasque driver is regarded amongst the best on the grid, particularly in terms of qualifying. His pole position ratio to F1 race starts sees him just outside the top ten of all time with 27 from 147 entries. Yet with just eight Grand Prix victories to his name, thistles a tale of the Ferrari race cars he has been given.
The recent outburst of the Ferrari group chairman, John Elkann, who called his F1 drivers to “talk less” and “focus more on racing” has been interpreted by many as a not so subtle direction for Charles Leclerc. Whilst Hamilton has admitted his struggles are due to adapting to a new team, Leclerc has been vocal about Ferrari being “not good enough”. His most recent attack on the team was in the media day in Brazil…READ MORE
Alex Stanton is a Formula 1 journalist at TJ13 with a focus on the financial and commercial dynamics that underpin the sport. Alex contributes reporting and analysis on team ownership structures, sponsorship trends, and the evolving business model of Formula 1.
At TJ13, Alex covers topics including manufacturer investment, cost cap implications, and the strategic direction of teams navigating an increasingly complex financial environment. Alex’s work often examines how commercial decisions translate into on-track performance and long-term competitiveness.
With a strong interest in the intersection of sport and business, Alex provides context around Formula 1’s global growth, including media rights, expansion markets, and manufacturer influence.
Alex’s reporting aims to explain the financial realities behind headline stories, helping readers understand how money, governance, and strategy shape the competitive order in Formula 1.
