Gianpiero Lambiase surprised with his departure from Red Bull to McLaren in the 2028 Formula 1 season. If Max Verstappen follows the engineer, Oscar Piastri could be the name to leave the British team to make room for the Dutchman.
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Rob Marshall, Will Courtenay, and Lambiase are three names who chose to swap the multi-champion Austrian team for the multi-champion papaya team. They all ended up choosing the new home due to a hefty salary increase.
Logically, Verstappen is now being linked to a potential move to the Woking team, even if McLaren is not the Dutchman’s first choice should he leave Red Bull in the future.
In fact, Zak Brown, CEO of the British team, has already emphasized several times that he is a deep fan of Max. In any case, Verstappen’s salary would not be a problem, as the team belongs to Mumtalakat Holding Company, a Bahraini state-owned company with an estimated wealth of $17,6 bi. Therefore, the payment to the four-time F1 champion could be in the region of $ 70 mi.
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McLaren’s only current issue is that it currently has 2025 champion Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, both with contracts still valid for many years. However, as much as the team denies it, the Briton is still the ‘apple of their eye’, indicating a possible dismissal of his Australian teammate.
Mark Webber is Oscar’s current manager and until last year, he was constantly seen in McLaren’s hospitality accompanying his protégé. However, this year, his presence seems to be much smaller – rumors still indicate that the relationship between the two has cooled significantly for 2026.
Mark and Ann Webber remain his managers. In the paddock, Piastri also has the support of Emma Murray, who has been with him since the beginning of his career. Pedro Matos is also present, having worked at Prema since the Formula 4 era.
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