Oscar Piastri has ended his management agreement with Mark and Ann Webber, the team that guided him from junior racing into a race-winning McLaren seat. Both sides called the decision mutual in a joint statement on Monday, 9 November, the day after the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.
The timing is what makes people look twice. The split comes after the hardest season of Piastri’s Formula 1 career so far. He has no wins in 2026, sits seventh in the championship and finished sixth in Brazil, 56 seconds behind team-mate Lando Norris, according to Sky Sports.
Why did Oscar Piastri split from Mark Webber?
Neither side gave a detailed reason. Webber’s statement points to one thing: the couple had already stepped back this year. “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,” he said.
Webber added that the change “will allow Oscar to build on his achievements under a new management structure, and for us to embark on our new ventures”. You can read the full joint statement in Formula 1’s official report on the Piastri-Webber split.
Piastri kept his words short and warm. “I’d like to thank Mark and Ann for all their support and advice over the years,” he said. “Their guidance has been invaluable, particularly in navigating the beginning of my F1 career.”
Nobody has said the split is about results. It’s fair to note the timing, but any link between his form and this decision is speculation for now.
What did Mark Webber do for Oscar Piastri’s career?
A great deal, by any measure. The Webbers began managing Piastri in 2019, the year he won the Formula Renault Eurocup and joined Renault’s junior programme. He then won the FIA Formula 3 title in 2020 and Formula 2 in 2021, both as a rookie.
The big moment came next. Alpine had Piastri as its reserve driver but didn’t give him a race seat in time. Formula1.com says Webber opened talks with McLaren and secured his debut there for 2023, replacing fellow Australian Daniel Ricciardo.
It was a bold call. Reuters, via The Straits Times, reports that Alpine had wanted to promote Piastri after Fernando Alonso announced his move to Aston Martin, but the Australian turned the offer down and went to McLaren instead.
Webber knew the territory. He’s a nine-time Grand Prix winner who raced for Red Bull, Williams and Jaguar, and Ann Webber managed his own career. Sky Sports notes that, like Piastri, Webber has nine F1 wins.
That move paid off. Piastri took two podiums as a rookie, won his first Grand Prix in Hungary in 2024 and fought Norris for the 2025 title before losing out, Formula1.com reports.
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Announced | Joint statement, Monday 9 November 2026 |
| Managers | Mark and Ann Webber |
| Partnership began | 2019 |
| Junior titles in that period | Eurocup 2019, F3 2020, F2 2021 |
| F1 debut | McLaren, 2023 |
| Career record (Motorsport.com) | 88 starts, 9 wins, 6 poles |
| 2026 standing | 7th, 152 points, no wins |
| McLaren contract | Until at least end of 2028 (Sky Sports, Fox Sports) |
| New manager | Not named |
How has Oscar Piastri’s 2026 season gone?
Badly by his standards. After 20 races, the official standings have him seventh on 152 points. Norris has 246 and three wins, including Sunday’s victory at Interlagos. Kimi Antonelli has already won the title for Mercedes, as we covered in our report on Antonelli becoming F1’s youngest champion.
Crash.net’s standings show Piastri as the only driver in the top seven without a win this year. McLaren is fourth in the constructors’ table, 17 points behind Red Bull, even after Norris’s win in Brazil.
The off-track picture changed early. Motorsport.com notes that Webber stopped attending most races at the start of 2026. Pedro Matos, Piastri’s former race engineer at Prema, and mental coach Emma Murray took on bigger roles at the track.
Back in February, Piastri played that down. “There wasn’t anything specific, just we made a decision for things to look a bit different,” he said, according to Motorsport.com.
Who manages Oscar Piastri now?
That hasn’t been announced. The statement only says he’ll operate “under a new management structure”. It doesn’t say whether that means an agency, a single manager or a team built around Matos and Murray.
Expect that detail to come out before 2027. Until then, treat any named manager in social posts as rumour.
There are a few things worth watching. First, whether a big sports agency signs him, which would hint at a commercial push. Second, whether Matos and Murray get formal titles. Third, how Piastri talks about the change in his next media session, which should come at the following race weekend.
Does the split change Piastri’s future at McLaren?
Not on paper. Piastri signed a multi-year extension with McLaren in March 2025, and Sky Sports and Fox Sports reported that it keeps him there until at least the end of 2028. A management change doesn’t alter a team contract.
What it can change is who negotiates his next deal, his sponsorships and any future move. Decisions made away from the track can shape a racing season too, as our story on Yamaha’s Qatar MotoGP withdrawal showed.
McLaren’s wider business isn’t affected either. The brand is still pushing its road cars, as our piece on the McLaren MCL 820 and the 750S successor shows.
| Confirmed | Not confirmed |
|---|---|
| The management agreement has ended by mutual consent | The specific reason behind the timing |
| The Webbers cut trackside involvement in 2026 | Who his new manager or agency is |
| Piastri thanked them publicly | Whether results played any part |
| Piastri is seventh with 152 points and no 2026 wins | Any change to his McLaren contract |
| His McLaren deal runs to at least 2028 (reports) | What the Webbers’ “new ventures” are |
CarBike Insight Analysis
We put the published numbers side by side to see how far Piastri’s season has drifted from the Webber-era peak. These are our own sums from Formula1.com standings and Motorsport.com’s career totals.
| Calculation | Result | Limitation |
|---|---|---|
| Points gap to Norris | 246 – 152 = 94 | After 20 races |
| Piastri’s share of McLaren driver points | 152 / 398 = 38.2% | Drivers’ points only |
| Points per race, Piastri | 152 / 20 = 7.6 | Includes sprints, if any |
| Points per race, Norris | 246 / 20 = 12.3 | Same |
| Margin over 8th-placed Hadjar | 152 – 122 = 30 points | Races remain |
| Career win rate | 9 / 88 starts = 10.2% | Motorsport.com totals |
| Career pole rate | 6 / 88 = 6.8% | Same |
| Junior titles in first 3 Webber seasons | 3 of 3 (2019-2021) | Junior series only |
The pattern is clear. Under the Webbers, Piastri won a title in each of his first three seasons and then all nine of his F1 victories came in 2024 and 2025. This year he’s scoring about 62% of Norris’s points per race.
That doesn’t prove the management setup caused the slump. Car development, tyre form and team dynamics all play a bigger part on track. But it explains why the split feels like a reset. With a McLaren contract reported to run through 2028, Piastri has time to rebuild. The 2027 season will show whether the new team around him helps. For now, the numbers to track are simple: points per race against Norris, and whether that first 2026 win arrives.
FAQ
Why did Oscar Piastri leave Mark Webber?
Both sides say the decision was mutual. Webber said that after his reduced trackside role this season, it was the right time to end the agreement. No other reason has been given, so links to Piastri’s form are speculation.
How long did Mark Webber manage Oscar Piastri?
About seven years. The Webbers began managing him in 2019, when he won the Formula Renault Eurocup. They guided him through F3 and F2 titles and helped secure his McLaren F1 debut for 2023.
Who is Oscar Piastri’s new manager?
That hasn’t been announced. The joint statement says Piastri will move to a new management structure. His former Prema engineer Pedro Matos and mental coach Emma Murray already have bigger roles at the track.
Is Oscar Piastri leaving McLaren?
Nothing suggests that. His contract extension, signed in March 2025, runs until at least the end of 2028 according to Sky Sports and Fox Sports. A management change doesn’t change his McLaren deal.
Where is Oscar Piastri in the 2026 F1 standings?
He’s seventh with 152 points after the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, with no wins this season. Team-mate Lando Norris is sixth on 246 points, and Kimi Antonelli is champion on 390.
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