News Summary
- Oscar Piastri and Mark and Ann Webber officially announced the end of their seven-year management partnership on Monday, November 9.
- GRANDE PRÊMIO has learned that the split actually occurred more than four months earlier, while Piastri was considering leaving McLaren and Webber was negotiating with Red Bull.
- The Australian’s potential move did not materialise after Max Verstappen extended his Red Bull contract, while Piastri subsequently publicly reaffirmed his commitment to McLaren.
Oscar Piastri has officially ended his management relationship with former Formula 1 driver Mark Webber and his wife Ann, bringing a seven-year partnership to a close.
However, GRANDE PRÊMIO has learned that the separation had already taken place more than four months before Monday’s announcement, during a period of growing dissatisfaction with McLaren and discussions over a potential move to Red Bull.
The joint statement was released on November 9, the day after the São Paulo Grand Prix, presenting the decision as a mutual agreement. Although the announcement made the separation public for the first time, the working relationship had effectively ended months earlier, according to information obtained by GRANDE PRÊMIO.
The timing is significant because the split coincided with a period in which Piastri was exploring his options beyond McLaren. In July, GRANDE PRÊMIO revealed that the Australian had expressed a desire to leave the team at the end of 2026, potentially opening the way for a driver-market move involving Max Verstappen.
Piastri and Webber confirm management split in joint statement
Webber and his wife began managing Piastri in 2019, guiding the Australian through his Formula Renault Eurocup title, successive championships in Formula 3 and Formula 2, and his eventual arrival in Formula 1 with McLaren in 2023.
The former Red Bull driver played a particularly important role in the contract dispute between Alpine and McLaren in 2022, helping Piastri secure the move that established him as a Formula 1 race winner and championship contender.
In Monday’s announcement, the Webbers acknowledged their contribution to the driver’s early career and explained their decision to step away.
“We are proud to have played a pivotal role in the formative years of Oscar’s career and to have placed him in F1 so that he could compete at the front so early on,” Webber said.
“Following our reduced trackside involvement this season, we have collectively agreed that now is an appropriate time to bring our management agreement to a close.”
“This will allow Oscar to build on his achievements under a new management structure, and for us to embark on our new ventures. We wish Oscar all the very best for a long and successful career.”
Piastri also issued a statement thanking the couple for their contribution.
“I’d like to thank Mark and Ann for all their support and advice over the years,” Piastri said.
“Their guidance has been invaluable, particularly in navigating the beginning of my F1 career. I wish them all the best going forward.”
The announcement did not identify who will assume responsibility for Piastri’s future contract negotiations and wider career management.
GRANDE PRÊMIO learned split happened more than four months earlier
Despite the public announcement coming only after the Brazilian Grand Prix, GRANDE PRÊMIO has established that Piastri and the Webbers had already separated more than four months ago.
The development took place against the backdrop of Piastri’s dissatisfaction with his position at McLaren, particularly the way the team had managed the internal competition between him and Lando Norris.
During the closing stages of the 2025 championship, Piastri lost the drivers’ championship lead after a difficult sequence of races. McLaren’s handling of the Italian Grand Prix, when the team instructed Piastri to return second place to Norris following a pit-stop problem, had also contributed to tensions.
Those circumstances prompted Webber to explore alternatives for the Australian’s future. GRANDE PRÊMIO learned that the former Red Bull driver had been negotiating with the Milton Keynes team as a potential destination for Piastri.
At the same time, Verstappen’s future was under discussion. One possibility involved the Dutchman leaving Red Bull for McLaren, with Piastri moving in the opposite direction.
However, the proposed arrangement never materialised. Verstappen’s decision to extend his Red Bull contract through 2030 removed the central opportunity around which those negotiations had developed. The four-time world champion subsequently confirmed that he had held discussions with McLaren before committing his future to Red Bull.
The information obtained by GRANDE PRÊMIO establishes the earlier timing of the management separation and the negotiations taking place around Piastri’s future. The joint statement itself does not identify those negotiations as the reason for the split.
Piastri’s McLaren future remained uncertain during difficult 2026 season
Although Piastri had indicated a desire to leave McLaren earlier in the year, his public position subsequently changed following Verstappen’s contract extension.
Speaking to GRANDE PRÊMIO at Zandvoort, the Australian reaffirmed his commitment to the Woking-based team and expressed gratitude for the opportunities it had provided.
“We’ve been together for three and a half years and it’s been a very good period,” Piastri said. “I’m very happy where I am.”
The remarks came after months of speculation surrounding his future and were consistent with his later public statements. Nevertheless, questions about his position within McLaren resurfaced during the Madrid Grand Prix weekend, when another difficult performance brought renewed attention to the relationship between the Australian and the team.
Piastri has endured a challenging 2026 campaign, struggling to reproduce the form that made him a title contender the previous season. Norris, meanwhile, secured his third victory of the year at the São Paulo Grand Prix, extending the performance contrast between the McLaren teammates.
At Interlagos, Piastri also acknowledged the limitations of the current McLaren car, telling GRANDE PRÊMIO that the MCL40 remains difficult to drive despite its underlying potential.
“I think the main problem is simply that we have a car that’s difficult to drive,” he said. “As I said, it has potential. When you can drive it the way it needs to be driven, without making mistakes, it can be very quick. But at the moment it’s too difficult to do that.”
The comments formed part of his assessment of McLaren’s technical limitations and development priorities ahead of the final rounds of the season.
Piastri remains under contract with McLaren through 2028. The official confirmation of his separation from the Webbers now formalises a management change that had already taken place while his Formula 1 future was being discussed behind the scenes.
GRANDE PRÊMIO is following the final rounds of the 2026 Formula 1 season, including the Las Vegas Grand Prix on November 19–21, with breaking news and updates in its Formula 1 section.
