Oscar Piastri expands on reason behind reduced Mark Webber role

Oscar Piastri has provided further insight into his decision to restructure his trackside support team, with manager Mark Webber taking a reduced role at F1 race weekends.

The former F1 driver, who raced in the championship between 2002 and 2013, is, however, maintaining his broader involvement in his compatriot's career.

The McLaren driver's working relationship with the nine-time grand prix winner has evolved considerably since Webber first took him under his guidance in 2019.

Now in his fourth season, Piastri has gradually reduced his dependence on the former Minardi, Jaguar, Williams and Red Bull driver's race-weekend presence as his own experience in the sport has developed.

Pedro Matos, who served as Piastri's race engineer during his championship-winning F2 campaign with Prema in 2021, has assumed a more prominent trackside role in Webber's reduced physical presence.

"[Webber] is still very much involved, and I've still spoken to him a lot through the start of the year," Piastri told Fox Sports, elaborating on previous comments.

"I'm getting more experience in my own career, and there's also an element of I've just got more experience, so I can make some of these decisions, ask some of these questions myself."

Piastri emphasised that the restructuring was not triggered by any specific incident, describing it as a natural evolution rather than a dramatic departure from their established working relationship.

Webber's initial involvement extended far beyond simply facilitating Piastri's progression from Formula Renault Eurocup to Formula 1.

The former Red Bull driver provided crucial mentorship, drawing on his experience of competing at the highest level and understanding the pressures that accompany driving for a leading team.

The 25-year-old acknowledges that Webber's guidance proved particularly valuable during his rookie season, when the veteran's experience helped identify issues that might otherwise have gone unnoticed.

"Especially the first couple of years, or especially year one of F1, there were a lot of questions that hadn't even crossed my mind that Mark was asking as if they were obvious to me and the team," Piastri said.

The move underlines Piastri's growing confidence in his ability to navigate the paddock independently. Where once he required Webber's constant guidance on matters both technical and strategic, the Australian now finds himself feeling more comfortable.

And Webber's reduced trackside presence does not signal a weakening of their professional relationship, but rather indicates Piastri's maturation as an F1 driver.

"I think now some of those questions come a lot more naturally for me," he added. "It's just a natural evolution, really."