Oscar Piastri’s Modest McLaren Contract Set To Derail Team Title Defence?

Australian Formula 1 driver Oscar Piastri made a stunning appearance at the glamorous F1 75 showcase, but a bombshell report has revealed the stark disparity in his contract compared to his teammate, which threatens to derail the McLaren team’s Constructor’s Championship defence.

According to the report from The Sun, Piastri, who many believe has the potential to outperform his teammate Lando Norris this season, will earn just 30 per cent of Norris’ staggering $32 million salary. The Melbourne-born driver, currently in the second year of a three-year contract extension with McLaren, is set to earn around $9.4 million in 2025, making him the 12th highest-paid driver on the grid.

Despite the evident pay gap, Piastri remained optimistic about the upcoming season. “I’m super excited for what we’ve got in store,” he said at the F1 75 event. “Obviously last year was a great result for the whole team and both of us as drivers, but we want to take that next step up and fight from the beginning. I’m super excited for the season to start.”

Fellow Australian Jack Doohan, who will be making his debut as a full-time driver for Alpine this year, finds himself in an even more challenging position. The Sun reports that Doohan will be the equal-lowest paid driver on the grid, earning around $1.4 million, a figure that pales in comparison to his French teammate Pierre Gasly’s reported $16 million salary.

2025 F1 driver salaries:

• Max Verstappen — Red Bull — $104m
• Lewis Hamilton — Ferrari — $96 million
• Charles Leclerc — Ferrari — $54m
• Fernando Alonso — Aston Martin — $32m
• Lando Norris — McLaren — $32
• George Russell — Mercedes — $34m
• Carlos Sainz — Williams — $16m
• Pierre Gasly — Alpine — $16m
• Alexander Albon — Williams — $12.6m
• Nico Hulkenberg — Sauber — $11m
• Esteban Ocon — Haas — $11m
• Oscar Piastri — McLaren — $9.4m
• Lance Stroll — Aston Martin — $4.6m
• Gabriel Bortoletto — Sauber — $3m
• Yuki Tsunoda — RB — $3m
• Kimi Antonelli — Mercedes — $3m
• Olivier Bearman — Haas — $1.6m
• Liam Lawson — Red Bull — $1.6m
• Jack Doohan — Alpine — $1.4m
• Isack Hadjar — RB — $1.4m

Despite the salary discrepancies, F1 pundits have been vocal in their support of Piastri, with many believing he has the potential to win a world championship this year. Guenther Steiner, a respected figure in the sport, stated, “I think he has the right car now and I think this is his year. Coming in as a rookie he overdelivered for a rookie in 2023 and in ’24 he followed up with some improvement. And this year, now he’s ready to go for it.”

However, former McLaren driver Juan Pablo Montoya warned that the team’s garage could get “ugly” if one of the drivers gains a significant advantage over the other early in the season. “I think it could get ugly at the end of the year if they have a big advantage in points and they let them race for the championship,” Montoya said. “Otherwise, I think they’d be pretty even. McLaren has probably done the best job of keeping both drivers happy.”