F1 News: Helmut Marko Drops Major Hints on McLaren Driver Talks

Helmut Marko hints at potential negotiations to move McLaren’s Oscar Piastri to Red Bull.

Oct 23, 2022; Austin, Texas, USA; Helmut Marko of Red Bull Racing Team holds up the World Constructors' Champions trophy after the running of the U.S. Grand Prix F1 race at Circuit of the Americas. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko has dropped a major hint that the team is considering a talk with McLaren driver Oscar Piastri's manager, former F1 driver Mark Webber.

In his role at Red Bull, Marko has been instrumental in elevating drivers like Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen. During a conversation with F1-Insider, Marko intriguingly stated, as quoted by RacingNews365:

"Let's put it this way: Mark Webber is intensely looking for a talk."

Since moving from Alpine's junior program to McLaren, thanks to his manager Webber, Piastri has secured two grand prix wins, helping McLaren overtake Red Bull in the 2024 Constructors' Championship.

For Red Bull, Piastri represents another potential solution to their driver lineup challenges. While Sergio Perez has shown moments of brilliance, his recent performances have sparked criticism, prompting Red Bull to reportedly explore ways to reinforce their team. There have already been countless rumors suggesting that the Austrian team are considering both VCARB drivers, Yuki Tsunoda and Liam Lawson, for a spot at Red Bull alongside Max Verstappen.

With that then leading to an open seat at VCARB, Williams's Franco Colapinto has been mentioned as a potential driver for the Red Bull sister team. However, this is all speculation at this point.

The Australian driver is currently in contract with McLaren until the end of 2026.

This is not the first time that Red Bull has shown an interest in drivers outside of their pool. Earlier in this season, team principal Christian Horner revealed that there would be interest in George Russell, who is out of contract with Mercedes as the end of the 2025 season. He commented at the time:

"We've got a gap now but we just want to take time to consider what do those options look like for the future.

"And we're not afraid to go out of the pool. You know, George Russell is out of contract at the end of next year. It would be foolish not to take that into consideration.

"There are other talented drivers that could well be out of contract as well."

The speculation surrounding Red Bull's future driver line-up intensifies as the Constructors' Championship battle hots up. McLaren overtook Red Bull after the Azerbaijan Grand Prix and the recent 1-2 finish by Ferrari in Austin puts the Maranello-based squad just 8 points behind them.

2024 F1 Constructors' Championship: Current Standings

1. McLaren - 544 points
2. Red Bull Racing - 504 points
3. Ferrari - 496 points
4. Mercedes - 344 points
5. Aston Martin - 86 points
6. Haas - 38 points
7. VCARB - 36 points
8. Williams - 17 points
9. Alpine - 13 points
10. Sauber - 0 points