McLaren Racing are bracing for arch-rivals Red Bull to come after Oscar Piastri next year even though the 25-year-old already has a long-term contract.
Red Bull could be without Max Verstappen if he departs at the end of next season, and McLaren believe the Australian would be top of the pile to replace the four-time champion if he leaves, reported Autosport.
That a team would have interest in Piastri, who is in his fourth F1 season, comes as no surprise to McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown.
"I would imagine there's not a team on the grid that wouldn't want to have Oscar and Lando (Norris) driving for them," Brown told The Athletic in an interview.
"My general view, contracts aside, (is) our job is to create an environment where our drivers don't want to drive anywhere else, or for that matter, our employees or our sponsors don't want to sponsor another team. ... I think there's a lot of talent inside McLaren that other racing teams would like to have."
Since debuting in F1 with McLaren in 2023, Piastri has won nine grands prix as a key piece of the team's success.
Piastri did not make the start in the first two races of the season, but finished second in the Japanese Grand Prix after leading the opening stages.
"Yes, I think I am," Piastri told The Athletic when asked if he felt he was in the right spot to win a world championship down the line.
"Last year, or even just through the years, I think the trust and the proof of how we can take a car, and almost a team in some ways, that has potential and actually realise that potential, is more than enough for me to see just what this team is capable of. ...
"We've got all of the pieces of the puzzle that we want and that we need, and now it's about trying to go out and execute and see how many championships we can win."
