Steiner warns Piastri's McLaren seat could be gone if 2027 mirrors troubled 2026

Guenther Steiner has issued a stark warning over Oscar Piastri’s long-term future at McLaren, saying the team’s CEO Zak Brown will seek a new driver if the Australian repeats his difficult 2026 campaign.

Speaking on The Red Flags Podcast, the former Haas team principal was blunt about the stakes. “If he has got another year like this next year, you’re right. Zak will look for the next Oscar,” Steiner said. “I mean, he needs to find him, but maybe Liam Lawson is free.”

Piastri fought for the world championship as recently as 2025 but has struggled badly this season. With three rounds remaining in 2026, he sits seventh in the drivers’ standings on 152 points — well adrift of the top six and out of contention for the runner-up spot. Kimi Antonelli clinched the title for Mercedes at the Mexican Grand Prix, while Max Verstappen leads the chase for second on 279 points ahead of George Russell (262), Lewis Hamilton (261), Charles Leclerc (249) and Piastri’s own team-mate Lando Norris (246).

Steiner’s mention of Lawson as a potential McLaren target has already been complicated by events: Racing Bulls confirmed the New Zealander will remain with the team in 2027 alongside rookie Arvid Lindblad, pushing any possible switch to McLaren further into the future. Steiner also cited Haas’s Oliver Bearman as a young driver with options.

On the prospect of McLaren reuniting Norris with former team-mate Carlos Sainz, Steiner was dismissive of the idea, suggesting Brown’s instinct runs in a different direction. “Zak will look for somebody younger. We all know Zak is pretty good at finding young talent. Zak likes to buy them cheap as well,” he said.

The comments underline the pressure building on Piastri heading into the final three races of the season and the 2027 campaign beyond. At 25, the Australian still has time to reverse the narrative — but Steiner’s assessment makes clear that another year of underperformance could cost him his seat at one of the grid’s leading teams.