Red Bull hints at F1 talks with Piastri

Red Bull adviser Dr Helmut Marko has claimed Mark Webber is pushing to open discussions about Oscar Piastri potentially switching to the Milton Keynes squad.

Webber, who raced for the team between 2007 and 2013, manages his compatriot and was instrumental in severing ties between the 23-year-old and Alpine, where he was a junior driver, and bringing him to McLaren.

It has thus far proven to be an inspired move. Despite not yet having two full F1 seasons under his belt, Piastri has a pair of grand prix victories, is on the verge of winning the constructors' title with the team, and is widely regarded as the most exciting young prospect in the championship.

However, Marko is suggesting the Australian could soon be on the move again - as Red Bull looks to shore up its driver line up.

The reigning constructors' champion has struggled to produce a team-mate for Max Verstappen who can adequately support him. And whilst Sergio Perez fit the bill for a while, his form has dipped and looks increasingly likely to lose his seat.

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner recently name-dropped George Russell as a potential option for 2026, but there are candidates from within the team's driver academy to also consider.

Despite those alternatives for Perez, Marko has thrown Piastri's hat in the ring, telling F1-Insider that Webber his actively seeking a conversation over his driver's future, saying: "Let's put it this way: Mark Webber is intensely looking for a talk."

In place or Verstappen or Perez?

Speculation linking Piastri and Red Bull is starting to grow amid McLaren's decision to prioritise Lando Norris and his bid for a maiden F1 drivers' championship.

Webber himself famously struggled to grapple with the idea of being a number two driver to Sebastian Vettel during their time together at Red Bull, so the suggestion he would look to protect Piastri from a similar situation tracks - even if the scenarios are far from comparable at the moment.

Marko's comments, therefore, indicate an interest on Webber's behalf if Red Bull were in need of a replacement for Verstappen, not Perez.

Nevertheless, former F1 driver Christian Fittipaldi recently argued that Piastri directly succeeding Perez at Red Bull was "not impossible", despite the Australian being contracted to McLaren and the fact he would almost certainly play second-fiddle to Verstappen.