McLaren driver Oscar Piastri ‘could go at any time’ as details of a contract clause have emerged that mirror what allowed Lewis Hamilton to join Ferrari in 2025.
Oscar Piastri’s 2026 F1 season couldn’t have started much worse after crashing on his way to the grid for the Australian Grand Prix.
Piastri’s McLaren teammate Lando Norris didn’t get off to a good start either, finishing nearly a minute behind eventual race winner George Russell and coming in fifth.
Piastri blamed a torque spike for the crash but still held himself responsible for the mistake. “I can’t really describe it fully until we get home and look through everything,” he told reporters after the race. “But I felt a spike in wheel torque as I pulled away.”
Oscar Piastri’s McLaren exit clause could open the door to Ferrari move
Phelps shared his thoughts on Piastri’s future during an appearance on Fox Australia’s MotorRacing 360 show. “Is he ever going to win a world title there? It’s pretty obvious that they gave Lando some preferential treatment,” he said.
“They might say that they didn’t, but it shows what he’s going to do going forward? Now, their contract in Formula 1 is about as clear as the energy return system at the moment.
“He’s got a multi-year deal, some people say it ends in 2028, other people are saying 2027, but it’s pretty clear that he’s got a get-out clause if Lando is favoured.”
That sort of flexibility in contracts isn’t new. Lewis Hamilton had one and used it to leave Mercedes for Ferrari shortly after signing. Phelps wonders whether staying at McLaren as a number two makes sense for Piastri or if looking elsewhere to become a number one driver would be better for his career.
Pundit and five-time V8 Supercars champion Mark Skaife compared Piastri’s situation to what Mark Webber experienced with Sebastian Vettel. Webber found it difficult because Vettel was seen as the future of Red Bull at the time.
Skaife added: “Vettel was the golden-haired boy at that time, so it’s actually quite hard now to make your next step.
Phelps wrapped up by saying: “It depends if either of those big teams [Mercedes or Ferrari] look at him as a number one, and I’m sure they would. He’s a superstar, and he’s got the personality.”
Possible destinations for Oscar Piastri if he uses McLaren ‘get-out clause’
Piastri will be looking to move past his difficulties in Melbourne, but even before the crash, he looked strong compared to Norris.
He qualified ahead of the reigning champion, and after taking pole position and winning the Chinese Grand Prix last season with what many called the best lap of his career, he should feel good about his chances.
Still, if Piastri’s team feels that success won’t come at McLaren for any reason, his current alternatives aren’t exactly obvious.
If Ferrari loses either Lewis Hamilton or Charles Leclerc due to a dip in performance, there’s already talk that Oliver Bearman would be next in line for a seat. His rising profile makes that move likely.
Toto Wolff isn’t expected to change up Mercedes’ current lineup of George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli anytime soon. If he did make a move, Wolff has always shown interest in trying to bring Max Verstappen over from Red Bull.
That leaves Red Bull as another possibility, but joining Verstappen wouldn’t give Piastri much room to shine. And if Verstappen ever left the team, it could signal problems that might make anyone think twice about stepping into that spot.
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