Former Ferrari engineer doubts Oscar Piastri would be happy at Maranello. Why Oscar Piastri may be better off staying away from Ferrari, according to Rob Smedley.

The driver market for the 2027 season has kicked off remarkably early this year. With rumors suggesting Max Verstappen could be moving away from Red Bull and a potential scenario where Lewis Hamilton announces his retirement at his home race in Silverstone, two high-profile seats could theoretically become available for next season.

While much of the focus is currently on which team will secure the services of the four-time Dutch champion, there is significant interest regarding who will end up behind the wheel for Red Bull and Ferrari. Among the names being discussed is Oscar Piastri. In 2025, the 25-year-old Australian had his first genuine shot at the world title. Despite being only in his third F1 season, he finished the championship in third place, just 13 points behind his teammate and world champion, Lando Norris.

Smedley advises Piastri against Ferrari: “He would join a worse team”

Piastri has frequently been linked to Ferrari. However, Rob Smedley—former race engineer to Felipe Massa and a veteran of the Scuderia—has drawn on his own experience at Maranello to strongly advise the driver against yielding to the allure of the Italian team.

Speaking on the High Performance podcast, Rob Smedley commented: “Currently in that team, the biggest ambition is to fight against your teammate. He would be leaving McLaren for a worse team that has no chance of winning the world championship. Could he go there and become the reference driver for that team? Perhaps, but he would risk being unhappy,” Rob Smedley concluded.

As the 2026 season progresses, the contrast between McLaren’s championship-winning momentum and Ferrari’s ongoing rebuilding phase remains a central talking point in the paddock. For a young talent like Oscar Piastri, the decision to remain with a proven frontrunner or gamble on the historical prestige of Maranello could define the next decade of his career. Smedley’s candid assessment shows that in modern Formula 1, sentimental value rarely outweighs the technical performance required to secure a world title.