Oscar Piastri may have a long-term contract with McLaren, but that hasn’t stopped the rumour mill from linking him to other teams for the 2026 Formula 1 season.
Last year, talk about future seats was mostly limited to Red Bull and how their decisions might affect Mercedes’ plans for 2026. This time around, more than half the grid is either playing for a new contract or hoping to move up the pecking order.
Piastri doesn’t fall into that category. He and Lando Norris are both locked into long-term deals at McLaren. Even so, there’s been chatter about whether he’s getting a fair deal under McLaren’s current structure.
Mark Webber, who manages Piastri, is well aware of his client’s ability. If things don’t improve, there could be discussions about exploring other opportunities.
Experienced F1 journalist Jose Maria Rubio has suggested that Piastri could be an ideal candidate to step in if Fernando Alonso decides it’s time to retire from Aston Martin. There are plenty of twists still ahead before any moves like that take shape.
Oscar Piastri labelled ‘perfect candidate’ to replace Fernando Alonso at Aston Martin
Rubio was discussing the situation on Roldan Rodriguez’s YouTube channel, saying: “This year, I’m convinced that McLaren has gone for Norris, the Englishman, but we’ll see, and the other Australian, I mean, the Australian there was like the local lad.
“Look, I think Piastri will be racing for big teams for many years to come. And look, I would bet on Piastri [to go to] Red Bull or Aston Martin in 2027. In 2027 Aston Martin could easily go [for him].”
When asked if this move would be tied to Alonso’s future with Aston Martin, Rubio responded: “Yes yes yes. Fernando is retiring because my opinion is that unless he has a car that allows him to be second in the championship and say: ‘Damn if we were second this year next year we’ll win.’”
“I’m telling you that Piastri is a perfect candidate to replace Fernando.”
Fernando Alonso could shape the 2026 F1 driver market
Most of the top drivers have long-term contracts in place, but each deal includes break clauses that could come into play if teams struggle to adapt to the next set of regulation changes.
Alonso is nearing the end of his time with Aston Martin, and whether he stays on may depend largely on what Adrian Newey can deliver.
F1 Oversteer has reported that Aston Martin is already considering a complete overhaul of their driver lineup for 2027, with Piastri among those being considered.
Piastri would likely back himself against Lance Stroll, even though Stroll’s father still hopes to see his son lead the team as world champion one day.
This season, there are questions about Honda’s power unit reliability. If those concerns persist, Alonso’s chances of fighting for podiums may be limited before he even gets started.
If Honda manages to resolve their issues over time, and with Newey’s track record for designing quick cars, it could mean that whoever steps in after Alonso retires inherits a very competitive seat.
Piastri currently seems settled alongside Norris at McLaren. But if it becomes clear that Norris is being prioritised within the team—as Rubio suggests might be happening—interest from other teams will only grow stronger.
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