Smedley and Szafnauer warn Piastri against Red Bull gamble

Oscar Piastri may one day face a decision that has derailed more careers than it has fulfilled: stay inside a title-winning machine while living in the shadow of a superstar teammate, or walk away to lead a new project. According to two seasoned F1 insiders, history is littered with drivers who made the wrong choice.

Why it matters:

With speculation swirling around Max Verstappen's long-term future, Piastri's name has surfaced as a possible successor at Red Bull. But F1 veterans Rob Smedley and Otmar Szafnauer have issued a brutal reality check: leaving elite machinery for personal status often leads to disappointment, not championships.

The details:

• Speaking on the High Performance Racing podcast, Smedley dismantled the romantic idea of leaving a top team to become number one elsewhere. He recalled his Ferrari days, where drivers who left to join weaker teams never found happiness or success.
• Szafnauer expanded on the rarity of a team moving from third-best to first. Periods of dominance last years—Mercedes for six or seven, Red Bull for four or five, Ferrari and Michael Schumacher for about ten. If you leave during such a run, you face a decade with no title shot.
• Piastri is currently at McLaren, one of F1's strongest projects, under contract through 2027. If Verstappen departs, the temptation to inherit a top seat at Red Bull would be enormous. Yet both insiders stress that becoming the star of a lesser team is still losing.

Between the lines:

The warning cuts through the fantasy with surgical precision. Piastri's dilemma is real but the data is clear: staying put often yields better results. As McLaren continues its upward trajectory, the Australian may have more to gain by weathering internal battles than chasing a leadership role elsewhere. For now, the smart money is on him to resist the gamble.