Feb.16 (GMM) Australian media headlines suggesting Oscar Piastri has “split” from manager Mark Webber appear wide of the mark, with the McLaren driver instead bolstering his support structure ahead of the 2026 season.
Reports indicate Piastri has recruited Portuguese engineer Pedro Matos into his personal camp, reuniting with a figure who worked closely with him during his junior career at Prema.
Matos supported Piastri in British F4 in 2017 and later during his title-winning campaigns in FIA Formula 3 (2020) and Formula 2 (2021). He recently departed Prema amid wider management upheaval at the team and is regarded as one of its most respected engineers.
At McLaren, the official engineering structure remains unchanged. Tom Stallard continues as Piastri’s race engineer, while Matos will act as an additional analytical resource – effectively an ‘extra brain’ to assist with data interpretation and race preparation across a Grand Prix weekend.
The move follows a frustrating end to Piastri’s 2025 title bid, when a series of small errors in the closing stages saw him fall short. The so-called ‘papaya rules’ controversy also added noise to the campaign.
Sources suggest the addition of Matos is not about sidelining Webber, as has been rumoured. Webber and long-time business partner Anne Neal remain central to Piastri’s management, but the engineer’s arrival allows them to focus more fully on contractual and strategic matters.
Piastri is also understood to be working more closely with Australian performance coach Emma Murray, who is expected to attend more races in 2026.
The structure mirrors the personalised trackside systems used by rivals including Lando Norris, Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso, each of whom operate with dedicated off-team analytical or performance advisors.