Photo: Race Pictures

Steiner issues bold prediction on Piastri’s McLaren future

07:58, 14 Nov

1 Comments

byTobia Elia

Former Haas team principal Guenther Steiner predicts Oscar Piastri’s near future lies away from McLaren.

“He has got a good chance to get in any other good car. He's a good driver and change sometimes is good”

- Guenther Steiner

When asked on the Red Flags podcast whether the Australian should leave the British team at the end of his contract, the Italian-American didn’t hesitate to give a firm yes.

“Especially if he doesn't win the championship. I think he has got a good chance to get in any other good car. He's a good driver and change sometimes is good. He's young enough, he can adapt to it.”

Steiner finally added: “He should and I think he will. That's my opinion.”

At the start of the season, Piastri signed a major contract extension, tying him to McLaren in a multi-year deal running at least until 2028, while his teammate’s contract is set to expire at the end of 2027.

Photo: Race Pictures

This means that, barring any major shake-ups in the driver market, McLaren is expected to stick with its current lineup for at least the next two seasons.

Steiner hits out at McLaren over debated Piastri penalty in Brazil

The Australian was involved in a three-car incident at Turn 1 on the restart of the Brazilian GP, triggering a chain reaction that saw him collide with Kimi Antonelli, who in turn slammed into Charles Leclerc’s SF25, putting the Ferrari driver out of the race.

While the Australian clearly bears some responsibility for the crash, it’s also true that the Mercedes driver closes the racing line as if no one else is there, a point even Leclerc himself highlighted.

Commenting on the incident, Steiner expressed disbelief that McLaren did nothing to protest the stewards’ decision, noting that the penalty handed to Piastri cost the team several potentially decisive points in the championship fight.

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