Oscar Piastri has made changes to his management setup for the 2026 Formula 1 season, with Mark Webber stepping back from trackside duties. The Australian driver emphasized that the shift is not dramatic and Webber remains involved. This comes as pre-season testing in Bahrain nears its end.
Oscar Piastri addressed his management reshuffle during media sessions in Bahrain, where pre-season testing for the 2026 Formula 1 season is concluding. Heading into the new regulations era, Piastri confirmed alterations to his team, though he downplayed any major issues. Mark Webber, Piastri's manager, will continue in his role but shift focus to commercial matters, reducing his presence at the track.
Joining Piastri trackside will be Pedro Matos, his former Formula 2 race engineer from Prema in 2021, and Australian mental coach Emma Murray, who will expand her involvement. "There wasn't anything specific, we just made a decision for things to look a bit different," Piastri explained. He added, "Mark is still very much involved and I've been in contact with him a lot over the last few weeks. He just won't be trackside as much anymore. So that's really the extent of it. But yeah, there was nothing specific that triggered it."
The changes occur amid adaptation to new 2026 rules, which Piastri described as a learning curve. Reflecting on testing in Bahrain and earlier sessions in Barcelona, he noted, "I think it's definitely been a learning curve." Piastri highlighted differences in driving requirements compared to the previous year, with teams and drivers optimizing approaches. "There are still some things we need to do as drivers that are certainly very different to what we had to do last year," he said. He observed progress in performance and comfort, stating, "I think naturally, we've all probably found performance and just with performance, it's made some creature comforts a little bit nicer as well. So I think we are making progress. Let's see what Melbourne's like."
Teams now prepare for the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne from March 6-8, Piastri's home race. Meanwhile, in related testing news, four-time champion Sebastian Vettel shared his prediction for the 2026 drivers' title, favoring George Russell and Mercedes based on a "gut feeling." Vettel praised Russell's intelligence and work ethic, noting Mercedes as a strong contender alongside McLaren, which uses Mercedes power units. Russell, during testing, focused on maximizing laps and understanding the W17 car, aiming to leave Bahrain in a strong position.
