Just over a year ago, McLaren was nowhere near a race-winning outfit. They were starting to creep into podium places, while Red Bull looked like the most dominant team on the grid, winning seven of the opening ten races of 2024. But the work put in by the Woking-based crew helped them achieve the unthinkable—winning the Constructors’ Championship for the first time since 1998. And Mark Webber played a crucial role in it.
Webber, who is Oscar Piastri’s manager, doesn’t directly work for McLaren. However, his presence in the garage has benefited the whole team.
Not only has Piastri blossomed into one of the top drivers on the grid, but he’s also being financially rewarded. He recently signed a five-year deal with McLaren that will see him earn the same $26 million annual salary as his teammate Lando Norris.
“Behind the scenes, he makes sure that my contracts turn out as they should. It’s about details you don’t even think about yourself,” said the 23-year-old before revealing the larger role Webber plays.
Piastri believes that Webber’s experience has collectively helped McLaren grow. “This was not only an advantage for me; the whole team benefited and learned how to get to the level of Red Bull Racing,” he added.
Oscar Piastri gets some solid advice from fellow Aussie and mentor, Mark Webber! #F1 #F1Testing @AussieGrit pic.twitter.com/yTIkGA9jVz
— Formula 1 (@F1) February 25, 2023
Webber has been Piastri’s manager since the time the latter was racing in F3. It’s almost been 5 years, making the former Red Bull driver know a lot about his protege. And he has been vocal in backing Piastri to the hilt, making him one of the breakout stars in F1.
“Oscar through his junior categories has been exceptional… So I think last year entering Formula One for him was, it’s a big step. But time and time again, he has shown that he’s ready to race at the front against the big guys. And he’s fine for that. Respectful, hard, clean,” Webber said in a press conference in 2024.
Championship-winning teams thrive in a positive environment. That’s what Webber has brought to McLaren. Having been part of Red Bull’s championship-winning teams as a driver between 2010 and 2013, he knows what it takes to get to the top and stay there.
Webber may have never won the Drivers’ championship himself. But he was one of the most dependable drivers in his prime, grabbing nine wins for Red Bull in an era that teammate Sebastian Vettel dominated.
How Webber helped Piastri
During his time alongside Vettel, Webber was almost always relegated to the role of the second driver. It was a bitter pill to swallow. But the experience has taught Webber how to deal with the dynamics of a team fielding two top drivers. And Piastri has benefited greatly from it.
Coming into the team in 2023, Piastri was up against Norris, who had been with McLaren since 2019 and was central to the Woking-based team’s title ambitions.
But two years into his McLaren career, Webber has ensured that Piastri is on equal footing with Norris. Aside from the occasional team order to assist each other, Piastri is free to race Norris for position, provided he follows the infamous papaya rules laid out by the team.
You beauty #F1 #ChineseGP @OscarPiastri pic.twitter.com/SKNO1rvzvV
— Formula 1 (@F1) March 22, 2025
The Melbourne-born driver’s latest contract extension is further proof of Webber’s influence on his role within the team. While a paycheck alone doesn’t tell the full story, earning the same salary as his teammate, who had been with McLaren for four years prior, makes it clear that the team doesn’t see Piastri as just a deputy driver.
With two rounds completed this season, both Norris and Piastri are title contenders in the MCL39. So far, they are evenly matched on track, with one victory each—Norris in Australia and Piastri in China.
