Oscar Piastri has signed another contract extension at McLaren

Oscar Piastri has signed a new multi-year contract extension to keep him at McLaren for the foreseeable.

We don’t know exactly how long the deal runs for, but McLaren says “the Australian driver will continue in papaya for the long term.”

A good move for Piastri? Clearly McLaren had the quickest car for the majority of the 2024 season and, ahead of the season-opening Australian Grand Prix this weekend, it looks as though nothing has changed, but will Oscar be playing second-fiddle to Lando Norris?

Piastri won in Hungary and Azerbaijan last season, with podiums in Monaco, Austria, Belgium, Monza, Singapore and Qatar. He also won the sprint race in Qatar, helping McLaren to its constructors’ title win as he finished fourth in the driver’s standings. As you’ll well know, his teammate finished second to Max Verstappen and will be hoping to go one better this year.

“There are so many talented and special people working at the MTC who have helped me to become a Formula 1 race winner very early in my career. Therefore, I’m very proud to be continuing to represent this legendary team for many years to come,” said Piastri on the announcement of his new deal.

“I’m excited to fight for the big prizes as a McLaren driver and after last year’s fantastic achievements, it has made me even hungrier to stay at the sharp end.”

It’s easy to forget last season was only Piastri’s second in F1, but the 23-year-old has already shown glimpses of world champ material. Could he leapfrog Lando to become McLaren’s number one in the next couple of years? Or, with his previous deal ending in 2026, should he have waited to see if a top dog spot in another team opened up at the end of the 2025 season? Thoughts in the comments below, please.