'Makes some sense': Oscar Piastri named as Red Bull's Plan B should Max Verstappen quit
Oscar Piastri is Red Bull's first preference to replace Max Verstappen should the four-time world champion elect to leave the team at the end of the season.
And in a fresh twist, should Verstappen elect only to leave Red Bull and not take a sabbatical from the sport, a straight swap to McLaren could be on the cards.
According to Autosport, Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies and Red Bull GmbH managing director Oliver Mintzlaff are ready to move on Piastri should Verstappen elect to pull the pin.
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It's not the first time a potential swap between Piastri and Verstappen has been floated, but it's the first time the information has seemingly come from inside the Red Bull camp.
Oscar Piastri could replace Max Verstappen should he elect to leave Red Bull. Formula 1 via Getty Images
Verstappen's race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase is moving to McLaren "by 2028 at the latest", which could prompt the Dutchman to follow.
Autosport said Red Bull would look to Piastri rather than promote Arvid Lindblad or Liam Lawson back into the senior team, due to the belief Isack Hadjar is not yet ready to spearhead a team himself.
The French-Algerian driver crashed out of the Miami Grand Prix on lap five having been forced to start from pit lane after a technical infraction led to his exclusion from qualifying.
A move to Red Bull would be the only realistic landing spot outside McLaren for Piastri.
George Russell is contracted to Mercedes until at least the end of next season, and although Kimi Antonelli is technically off-contract, he will almost certainly be renewed by the Tri-star.
Piastri putting a move on Verstappen late in the Miami Grand Prix. LAT Images
Charles Leclerc is on a long-term deal at Ferrari, and Ferrari junior Oliver Bearman's strong form with Haas would put him in the box seat to score a promotion should Lewis Hamilton elect to retire at the end of the year.
Although he's taken a step back from his trackside role last season, Mark Webber remains Piastri's manager. According to former driver Juan Pablo Montoya, the Aussie is unhappy with McLaren and his experience as a Red Bull driver might give them an in.
But the Columbian also said managers deliberately stir the pot to give themselves extra bargaining power.
"From what I'm hearing Mark Webber is not happy the way things are going for Oscar at McLaren," Montoya told Betpack.
"A lot of times people that look after drivers will run a story like that just to stir up the pot and put pressure on the team.
"Piastri would find a seat anywhere. There's a suggestion that Max and Piastri could do a straight swap. That makes some sense.
"Webber raced for Red Bull before. He knows Red Bull. So that would be a sensible thing.
"That would be a logical thing to do. The question is, would McLaren be comfortable spending the money that Max would want?"
The F1 season continues at the Canadian Grand Prix - another sprint weekend - in Montreal on May 23-25 AEST.
