Oscar Piastri has denied that the speculation connecting Max Verstappen with a possible move to Mercedes in Formula 1 could be a distraction to the Red Bull driver.
The bombshell revelation that Verstappen’s camp is having renewed discussions with Mercedes has coincided with his and Red Bull’s title chances dwindling in 2025.
Verstappen retired on the opening lap in Austria, then a suboptimal rear wing on his RB21 curtailed his aim to convert pole position in mixed conditions at Silverstone.
That has resigned the Dutchman, who has long insisted that he is not in contention to retain the championship, to sinking 69 points behind Piastri with 12 races to go.
But Piastri, who has an eight-point lead over team-mate Lando Norris, has squashed the idea that doubts over Verstappen’s future could give McLaren an added edge.
“I don’t think next year is really of concern for me,” Piastri told media including Motorsport Week.
“It’s obviously something for him to manage, and I don’t think it will distract him necessarily.
“And I think in the championship, I’m not really concerned with what Max is doing or how many points behind he is.
“I think he’ll be a threat every weekend, or most weekends. And I think that’s why you can’t rule him out.
“Whether the car has the pace or not, we don’t know, but ultimately I go into each weekend trying to just do the best that I can and worry about that.
“So I’m not that bothered where he is in the championship. He is obviously a bit further back now. It’s quite a big advantage to claw back, but I’m not that concerned either way.”
Verstappen accepts title reign coming to an end
Meanwhile, Verstappen, a two-time race winner this season, has suggested that he has accepted the realisation that Red Bull don’t have the package to rival McLaren.
“Well, that’s F1 for you. If everyone knew what they had to do, then everyone [would be] winning races, or at least everyone had a chance of winning,” he highlighted. “And in F1, unfortunately, that’s not the case. It’s a very complicated sport.
“Of course, we’re not where we want to be, but we’re still fighting for podiums. I mean, it could be also way worse if you’re driving last.
“So yeah, it’s a work in progress. I think we are trying to find more performance in the car, but also last year we were a bit hurt with our balance issues that we had with the car.
“So we also had to first understand what was going on there. And for sure, that has also hurt probably a little bit, too, to the future development of the car during this year.
“But we’re still trying everything we can to be as competitive as we can be. Now, is that going to be McLaren level? Maybe not. Probably not.
“That’s how F1 goes for you. Sometimes you have dominant years, good years where you can win a lot. Sometimes, maybe not. Or not at all.”
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