Mark Webber accused of fuelling speculation over Oscar Piastri’s future with Red Bull

Mark Webber has found himself at the centre of speculation after claims emerged suggesting he’s trying to stir the pot, with rumours linking Oscar Piastri to a potential switch to Red Bull.

Much of the early season discussion has revolved around Max Verstappen and whether he’ll still be on the grid next year.

The Dutchman hasn’t held back in his criticism of F1’s new regulations. And back in March, reports surfaced suggesting Verstappen is considering walking away from the sport at the end of this year.

And just last week, there were reports that Red Bull have their eye on Piastri as a possible replacement if Verstappen does decide to step away.

Questions raised over Mark Webber’s role in Oscar Piastri’s Red Bull links

Speaking on the latest episode of the RacingNews365 podcast, Dutch racing driver Tom Coronel questioned why Verstappen would want to leave Red Bull, especially after their recent upturn in form.

The 54-year-old also suspects that Webber, who is Piastri’s manager, is trying to ‘stir things up’.

Coronel said: “I wouldn’t know why Max would leave, now that they’re starting to talk about it. Look, I understand, of course, that maybe Mark Webber is trying to stir things up a bit.

“Guys, we can totally forget about that. Max is just having a good time, and he’s not going anywhere at all. I say that every time as well, rumour to McLaren, then to Mercedes.

“Yes, I am absolutely convinced [he won’t leave]. He can qualify second. Why would he want to leave?

“They are growing now [Red Bull], and that gives confidence to the team. You can also see that the car is being adjusted well for Max.”

“At McLaren, you walk in, and there are already good drivers there who have a certain status; you can’t just wipe that away in one go.”

Oscar Piastri opens up about his relationship with Mark Webber

Before the start of the 2026 F1 season, it was announced that Webber would step back from trackside duties to concentrate on managing Piastri’s commercial interests.

Speaking recently on the High Performance podcast, Piastri discussed how their relationship has evolved while emphasising that things remain “very good.”

Piastri explained: “The relationship’s good. Very thorough, is Mark. When I first got into F1, Mark was coming up with questions and ideas that literally hadn’t even entered my brain.

“I would hear him say it and go like, ‘How the hell did he think of that?’ Or like, ‘How am I ever going to think of that?’”

Piastri went on to say how Webber helped him in his early days in F1: “There’s naturally less and less for Mark to do on the racing side of things the more experienced I become. But especially in the first couple of years, there are some lessons you have to learn the hard way.

“There’s no other way of doing it, but I’m sure there could have been plenty of other slightly annoying, tougher lessons to learn that I was probably spared because of Mark’s experience and Mark’s guidance.”