Oscar Piastri has revealed that he agreed to a two-year contract extension as it brings “nice confidence” to himself and McLaren, with the rookie now being contracted to the team until the end of 2026.
Piastri joined the Formula 1 grid this season on a two-year deal taking him to the end of 2024; however, McLaren opted to offer him a further two-year extension following his instant impressive performances.
Now, Piastri is set to enter the new power unit regulations with the Woking-based outfit in 2026, something which will help McLaren plan ahead for the new regs.
There is absolutely no doubting that Piastri is a future championship contender, with him having settled into both McLaren and F1 in rapid fashion.
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He’s already claimed P2 in the Belgian Grand Prix sprint race, whilst he even secured his maiden podium recently at the Japanese Grand Prix.
If that wasn’t enough for his debut campaign, Piastri is already pushing Lando Norris harder than Carlos Sainz or Daniel Ricciardo ever did.
It’s incredibly easy to see how Piastri won the Formula 2 and Formula 3 titles in back-to-back seasons, with him clearly being a driver set for very big things.
Understandably, McLaren are keen to keep Piastri for as long as they can, with McLaren CEO Zak Brown and team principal Andrea Stella having recognised just how talented the Aussie is.
His market value has risen race-by-race this season, whilst he’s also helped push McLaren in the right direction, alongside Norris.
It’s for very similar reasons why the British team are now trying to get Norris to sign a new deal, despite the fact he’s already contracted until the end of 2025.
McLaren are wanting to plan for the future with their current driver pairing, something Piastri is aware of.
Whilst signing a new deal is brilliant news for the team, Piastri notes that it’s also useful for his own future, to ensure that he has a “sense of security”.
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“I’ve still got three years after this. It’s always nice to have a sense of security,” Piastri told media, including RacingNews365.com.
“For me, it made sense from my point of view, from a team point of view as well.
“So yeah, just that longevity and continuation together as well. [It brings] nice confidence for us all.”