Oscar Piastri issues Mark Webber update after reduced trackside role

Oscar Piastri says his manager Mark Webber is “still very much involved” in his Formula 1 career, but he has reached the point where he can make his own decisions.

Piastri joined the Formula 1 grid as a McLaren driver under former F1 driver Webber’s guidance.

Oscar Piastri discusses Mark Webber management role evolution

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Piastri has been managed by Webber and his partner Ann Neal for most of his racing career, with the former Red Bull driver, who also works as a Formula 1 television pundit, by his side at most races.

However, prior to the start of the F1 2026 championship the Australian racer added Pedro Matos, his race engineer from his title-winning 2021 F2 season, to his inner circle.

It led to speculation about Webber’s role within Piastri’s team, although PlanetF1.com understands that remains unchanged. He will, however, only attend select races with Matos attending most – if not every – round of the championship.

Piastri shed more light on the situation when he spoke with Fox Sports Australia ahead of the April break.

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“[Webber] is still very much involved, and I’ve still spoken to him a lot through the start of the year,” said the McLaren driver.

“I’m getting more experience in my own career, and there’s also an element of I’ve just got more experience, so I can make some of these decisions, ask some of these questions myself.

“Especially the first couple of years or especially year one of F1, there were a lot of questions that hadn’t even crossed my mind that Mark was asking as if they were obvious to me and the team.

“I think now some of those questions come a lot more naturally for me.

“It’s just a natural evolution, really.”

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