Oscar Piastri comes clean on why he signed the multi-year contract extension with McLaren

Oscar Piastri believes McLaren extending his contract beyond 2026 was a natural step, even with time left on his current deal. Speaking in the drivers’ press conference ahead of the 2025 Australian Grand Prix, the Melbourne-born driver felt a long-term commitment made sense following McLaren’s 2024 constructors’ championship victory.

Recognizing Piastri’s value in the driver market, McLaren moved early to secure his future with a multi-year extension. His previous contract, signed in 2023, was set to expire at the end of 2026, but with a major driver market shuffle expected beyond that, the reigning world champions ensured continuity by re-signing him.

Piastri saw the extension as a logical decision, given his performances over the past two seasons. He also noted that McLaren’s leadership, including Zak Brown and Andrea Stella, are on long-term deals, making his contract renewal a natural fit within the team’s long-term strategy.

Asked about the hurry to extend his contract beyond the 2026 season, Oscar Piastri replied:

“I mean, it was from both sides, really. I was already signed up for this year and the next, but it felt like just a very natural progression to sign for an even longer term. Obviously, last year was an incredible year for the team. I think my two years at the team have been pretty incredible—starting from where we were when I joined to being Constructors' champions now.

It made a lot of sense in my mind to try and continue that and build with the team. Obviously, myself and Lando are both there for a long time now. Andrea is on a long-term contract, Zak, the key technical staff as well. So yeah, for me, it seemed like a no-brainer, and I think it was reciprocated from the team as well.”

Despite McLaren's promising pre-season test, the Melbourne-born driver believes it is difficult to gauge the pecking order ahead of the Australian Grand Prix weekend

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Oscar Piastri feels weather will factor into the Australian GP race weekend

Speaking ahead of his home race, Oscar Piastri noted that Albert Park’s track characteristics differ significantly from Bahrain, making it harder to anticipate the competitive landscape. He also highlighted the potential impact of weather conditions, with rain expected on race day, which could shake up the field.

While McLaren had a strong testing program in Bahrain, Piastri remains cautious about predicting their standing. He acknowledged that the team aims to be at the front but felt that the unknowns surrounding their rivals’ progress make it difficult to conclude qualifying.

Asked what his expectations are for the weekend and McLaren, Piastri said:

“I don't know. We'll see. I know what you want me to say, and everyone's headline can be that, but we'll see. I think, you know, obviously no one really knows what to expect. Testing went pretty well, but you don't know where everybody stands. I think we're pretty happy with how our test went, but as we've said, Melbourne is a completely different track to Bahrain.

Weather is going to be different to Bahrain and different every hour, by the look of it. So it's going to be an interesting weekend for sure, but I think hopefully we're expecting to be somewhere up the front. Whether that's right at the pointy end, we’ll wait until Saturday, I think.”

Oscar Piastri played a supporting role to Lando Norris in 2024, but if McLaren maintains its dominance in 2025, the dynamic between the two could shift into a fierce intra-team battle. However, with the grid tightening due to stable regulations, predicting the season’s outcome remains challenging. Ferrari, Mercedes, and Red Bull have all made gains, making the fight at the front more competitive than ever.