Following GPblog's report some time ago that the Australian was the most serious option to replace four-time world champion Max Verstappen at Red Bull, Motorsport.com is now going a step further.

While there is no indication that Verstappen will leave after the current season for a sabbatical or a switch to another team, it cannot be ruled out altogether entirely given a tricky start to the season for the Dutchman under the much-maligned 2026 regulations, and the exit of key Red Bull personnel in recent years.

After Motorsport.com's new claim that Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies and Red Bull GmbH managing director Oliver Mintzlaff would be standing by to try to lure Piastri away from McLaren if Verstappen departed, GPblog have reported that money should not be a problem for the Woking team - tens of millions would be freed up to buy out Piastri’s contract at McLaren and to pay the Australian.

It is also noted by this website that Piastri's manager, former Red Bull driver Mark Webber, would like to see Piastri as the lead driver at a top team - hardly a surprise given the Aussie's obvious talent as seen in his close title fight with teammate Lando Norris and Verstappen in 2025.

Meanwhile, Red Bull boss Mekies has thrown his support behind the idea of F1 returning to V8 engines, citing a potential advantage given the Milton Keynes-based team's partnership with American manufacturer Ford.

The possibility of a switch back to V8 engines - last used in F1 in 2013 - was raised by FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem, who claimed the "V8 is coming," potentially as early as 2030, even without the support of F1's engine manufacturers. Mercedes boss Toto Wolff is also on board with the idea, telling media, including GPblog at Miami, to "count us in to come back with a real, real racing engine."

Mekies has become the latest F1 figure to support F1's return to a V8 power unit, telling GPblog, among others, that Red Bull Ford Powertrains are "pretty cool" with the prospect of engine changes, despite only joining the sport as a power unit manufacturer for the first time ever this season.

He said: "We feel we had to start from zero to go and try to deal with this power unit. And I think the starting point is decent. We are still lacking some PU performance compared to Mercedes, but we feel that the guys did a phenomenal job to put us in a fight. So we are quite excited to have another challenge."

When the iconic connection between American giant Ford and the V8 engine was raised with Mekies, the Red Bull boss jokingly teased "an early start" for the Red Bull team.“Indeed, there is a V8 in the Ford Mustang that I’m lucky to drive every day in Milton Keynes. So, we may have an early start,” he said.