F1 News: McLaren Driver Oscar Piastri Could Move To Mercedes Using "An Escape Clause"

An F1 pundit speculates that Oscar Piastri's McLaren contract may contain an escape clause that could facilitate a move to Mercedes.

Former F1 driver and Formula 1 pundit Karun Chandhok emphasizes the high probability of an escape clause being present on McLaren driver Oscar Piastri's contract, which could help him switch to Mercedes as Lewis Hamilton's replacement.

Key Takeaways:

• Former F1 driver Karun Chandhok highlights the potential presence of an escape clause in McLaren driver Oscar Piastri's contract, potentially facilitating a move to Mercedes as Lewis Hamilton's successor.
• Chandhok believes a Piastri-George Russell pairing at Mercedes could be formidable, especially as Mercedes seeks to fill Hamilton's seat after his shock announcement of joining Ferrari in 2025.
• While Piastri's contract with McLaren extends to 2026, Chandhok speculates on the existence of an escape clause, citing the allure of joining a team with a strong championship history. Additionally, Carlos Sainz, amid Hamilton's move to Ferrari, explores other options, with a potential move to Sauber, expected to become a works Audi team by 2026.

Chandhok believes the Piastri- George Russell pairing could do wonders at Mercedes after an eventful rookie year for the Australian driver in 2023. What better time could there be as Mercedes actively seeks out a potential candidate to fill Lewis Hamilton's seat, who created a shockwave through the F1 fraternity by announcing his exit from the Brackley outfit for Ferrari, scheduled for 2025?

Piastri retains all the firepower needed to push Mercedes' title contender to the limit. After all, he secured a Sprint win last season despite severe competition from Red Bull. However, the McLaren driver signed a contract extension with the Papaya team that won't see him free until the end of 2026. 

While there are very few reasons for Piastri to consider a move to Mercedes, Chandhok believes his contract might have a clause that allows him to take a leap of faith and join a team that won several championships in the last decade. Speaking to Sky Sports F1, he said:

"We know Oscar has a contract with McLaren, but Mark Webber has negotiated plenty of F1 contracts in the past and I'm sure there will be an escape clause somewhere, as we've seen with Lewis.

"Oscar's debut season was brilliant – he had weaknesses in his race pace no doubt about it, but he has another season to build on that.

"I think Oscar and George [Russell] as a line-up at Mercedes is a good one."

But considering the fact that McLaren had a faster car toward the end of last year compared to Mercedes's W14, Chandhok revealed that a works team would be a go-to place for a driver, especially with the 2026 regulations appearing over the horizon. He said:

"With the new engine formula coming in 2026, I'd want to go to a works team, as Lewis did in [2013]."

With Hamilton's impending move to Ferrari next year, Carlos Sainz, a prominent figure in the driver market, is exploring alternative avenues. The possibility of Sainz joining Sauber, poised to transition into a works Audi team by 2026, cannot be discounted.

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