Marco Rossi · F1 Correspondent
A chapter that turned McLaren's Grand Prix winner into a Formula 1 driver in the first place has come to an end: Oscar Piastri and his manager Mark Webber are parting ways by mutual agreement.
Oscar Piastri and his long-time manager Mark Webber announced the end of their partnership on November 9, 2026. The split came after the São Paulo Grand Prix and, as both sides stressed, by mutual agreement. After around seven years in which Webber guided Piastri from junior driver to McLaren race driver, one of the defining relationships in the current paddock is over.
The Break After São Paulo
Piastri and the management team led by Mark and Ann Webber jointly announced the termination of their management agreement. Piastri publicly thanked his former managers for their years of work together. "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. I wish them all the best going forward," Piastri said.
Webber also commented on the decision. "We are proud to have played a pivotal role in the formative years of Oscar's career. 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," Webber said. The wording suggests the move was not a spontaneous one but developed over the course of the season.
From Junior Talent to Title Contender
Webber took over the Australian's management in 2019, at a time when Piastri was still at the start of his journey through the junior categories. Piastri only won the Formula Renault Eurocup in his second season, in 2019, after finishing eighth in his debut year of 2018. Formula 3 (2020) and Formula 2 (2021), by contrast, he won at the first attempt as a rookie. Three titles in a row is a record few manage in driver development, and it laid the foundation for what followed.
The key moment of the partnership dates back to the summer of 2022, when Webber negotiated Piastri's move from the Alpine junior academy to McLaren. It was a move that secured the still inexperienced Piastri a competitive seat and made his Formula 1 debut in 2023 possible in the first place. In the 2025 season, Piastri at one point held a 34-point lead in the championship before Norris took the title and Piastri finished the season third overall.
New Faces Around Him
The split had already been on the cards during the current season. Webber reduced his presence at the track, while a new setup formed around Piastri, including his former Formula 2 race engineer Pedro Matos and mental coach Emma Murray. According to media reports, discussions about McLaren's internal driver guidelines, the so-called papaya rules, had strained the relationship between Webber and the team's leadership in the 2025 season. Neither side has confirmed this.
For Piastri, the move means one thing above all: building a new management structure after a 2026 season that fell short of his own expectations on track. After the São Paulo Grand Prix, he sits seventh in the drivers' standings. How solid the new setup is will likely only become clear in the coming races, when Piastri will need the same kind of reliable support he found with Webber.
