By Joe Murphy
Piastri And Webber Part Ways After Seven Years
Oscar Piastri has split from his management team led by Mark and Ann Webber, ending a partnership that has guided his entire rise to Formula 1.
The decision was announced in a joint statement on Monday morning, the day after the São Paulo Grand Prix. Both sides described it as mutual, with no successor management structure yet announced.
Webber began working with Piastri in 2019, when the Australian was racing in Formula Renault Eurocup. He oversaw the back-to-back Formula 3 and Formula 2 titles that made Piastri one of the most sought-after juniors in the sport, and then masterminded the most controversial driver move of recent years.
When Alpine announced Piastri as its driver for 2023, Webber backed his driver in publicly rejecting the deal. The matter went to the FIA Contract Recognition Board, which ruled in Piastri’s favour and cleared the way for him to join McLaren in place of Daniel Ricciardo.
Piastri has since won nine Grands Prix for McLaren and took the title fight to the final round last year, before losing out to team-mate Lando Norris.
The partnership had already changed shape this season. Webber stepped back from regular trackside duties, with Piastri’s former Formula 2 race engineer Pedro Matos and performance coach Emma Murray taking on larger roles in his weekend preparation. Webber continued to handle commercial matters, but was rarely seen in the paddock.
In Monday’s statement, Webber said: “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. 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.”
Piastri added: “I’d like to thank Mark and Ann for all their support and advice over the years. Their guidance has been invaluable, particularly in navigating the beginning of my F1 career.”
The timing is striking. Piastri has endured a difficult season under the new regulations, going winless and falling to seventh in the championship after a sixth place finish in Brazil, more than 50 seconds behind Norris. He has not been on the podium for 16 races.
Whether the split is simply a natural evolution as Piastri takes greater control of his own career, or a response to a frustrating year, neither side is saying. What is clear is that one of the sport’s most successful driver-manager partnerships is over.
