The Australian driver started the year very strongly, leading the championship by 34 points in the final third of the season. But his form dropped in the later races, while teammate Lando Norris and Max Verstappen performed strongly, meaning Piastri missed out on the title.

Piastri also faced a few tense moments within McLaren. At Monza, there was a controversial position swap, and at Singapore he was pushed wide at the start of the race by Norris. Both incidents were quickly sorted by the team, but they added to speculation about possible tensions inside McLaren. Montoya believes these issues, together with Piastri’s manager Mark Webber being unhappy with the team, could lead the pair to explore options with other teams.

“I guarantee you that Oscar Piastri and Mark Webber are already talking to another F1 team,” Montoya told Grosvenor Casinos. He explained that Webber was not happy with how McLaren handled Piastri’s development. It is not clear, however, if Piastri himself feels the same way. Montoya also warned that Piastri should not let Webber’s past frustrations in F1 affect his own career decisions.

Despite this, McLaren CEO Zak Brown is confident about Piastri’s future, saying he expects the driver to win “multiple” titles with the team. Former F1 boss Johnny Herbert also suggested a move away from McLaren is possible, with top teams such as Red Bull potentially interested in signing the young Australian.

Piastri’s 2025 season can be seen as a tale of two halves. He was dominant in the first part, winning seven races, but failed to win any of the final nine races, which ultimately allowed Norris to take the drivers’ championship. With the 2026 season approaching, many are now watching closely to see whether Piastri will remain at McLaren or make a move to a rival team.