Zak Brown McLaren Executive Director.
Image: File picture
McLaren boss Zak Brown dismissed rumours that his number two driver Oscar Piastri was linked to Red Bull signing speculation ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix.
Reports emerged earlier this week suggesting that Red Bull were monitoring Piastri’s situation at McLaren as uncertainty continues to swirl around the long-term future of reigning world champion Max Verstappen.
But Brown quickly shut down the rumours, insisting McLaren had no concerns about losing one of Formula One’s brightest young stars.
Speaking ahead of the weekend in Montreal, Brown brushed off the speculation and reaffirmed McLaren’s faith in their current driver line-up.
“Oscar is very happy at McLaren,” Brown reportedly said.
“We’re very happy with Oscar. We have our drivers signed long-term and there’s no reason to believe anything is going to change.”
Brown’s confidence is understandable given Piastri’s rise over the last two seasons. The Australian has transformed from highly-rated rookie into genuine title contender, regularly outperforming his teammate Lando Norris.
Last season, Piastri got off to a cracker start - hogging the Championship points for consecutive weekends until Norris managed to catch up on his teammate.
Yet despite Brown’s public confidence, the rumours refuse to disappear for one major reason: McLaren still feels like Norris’ team.
The British driver has been with the Woking squad since 2019 and remains the face of the project. Even with McLaren’s so-called “papaya rules”, the team philosophy promoting equal treatment between both drivers but there have been moments where Norris appeared to receive the strategic edge.
Piastri has often found himself playing the support role during crucial race situations, particularly when championship mathematics or team strategy leaned in Norris’ favour.
While McLaren continue to insist both drivers are free to race, Formula One history shows equal status rarely lasts when a title fight intensifies.
That is exactly why Red Bull’s interest makes sense. If Verstappen were to leave the Milton Keynes outfit in the coming years, Piastri would instantly become one of the hottest properties on the market.
Red Bull have long admired the Australian and previously admitted regret over missing the opportunity to sign him during his junior career.
For now, Piastri remains committed to McLaren’s long-term project. But as his reputation grows and the battle for Formula One supremacy intensifies, questions around whether he will continue accepting second billing to Norris are unlikely to disappear anytime soon.
Jehran Naidoo is sports reporter for Independent Media and social media coordinator of the our YouTube channel The Clutch.