Formula 1 has been SHAKEN to its core.
In one of the most explosive driver moves of the decade, Ferrari has officially signed Oscar Piastri to a multi-million dollar contract through 2028, sending shockwaves through the paddock. The timing is no coincidence — it comes just hours after a devastating leak exposed McLaren’s alleged sabotage of their own rising superstar.
The leaked internal documents, reportedly sent by an enraged McLaren engineer, reveal a staggering level of favoritism toward Lando Norris. The files labeled Norris as the team’s “Anchor Driver,” a coded designation that effectively sidelined Piastri. The fallout is enormous: his technical feedback sidelined, his upgrade cycles delayed, and his development path restricted.
For a driver regarded as one of the brightest talents of his generation, the revelations were nothing short of a betrayal.
Sensing opportunity amid chaos, Ferrari moved with surgical precision. Behind closed doors, the Scuderia crafted a contract that gave Piastri everything McLaren would not: equal status with Charles Leclerc, guaranteed upgrade parity, and a long-term commitment to treat both drivers as co-leaders of the team’s 2026 project. The offer was irresistible — and perfectly timed.
McLaren, meanwhile, has plunged into crisis. Fans are furious, sponsors uneasy, and internal trust fractured. Lando Norris, now positioned as the sole remaining pillar of the team, suddenly faces immense pressure. Instead of heading a growing powerhouse, he is left defending a structure that appears to have collapsed from within.
Piastri’s move instantly disrupts the entire driver market. Audi must rewrite their long-term strategy. Alpine, still smarting from losing him once, can only watch as he joins one of their historic rivals. Mercedes and Red Bull now reassess their future lineups as Ferrari emerges as a major threat for the 2026 regulations.
With the Las Vegas Grand Prix on the horizon, the drama intensifies. The world will be watching to see whether Ferrari’s bold gamble pays off — and whether McLaren can survive the fallout of one of the biggest political disasters in modern F1.
The power balance has shifted. The stakes have exploded. And Formula 1 will never be the same again.
