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Aston Martin is reportedly targeting Oscar Piastri, the star McLaren driver, for the upcoming years. As per a report by GP Blog, Lawrence Stroll's team will try to rope in Piastri, along with Charles Leclerc from Ferrari.Despite showing a promising start to their campaign, Aston Martin fell flat as the season progressed. Their drivers, a two-time world champion, Fernando Alonso, and his teammate, Lance Stroll, also struggled this season.With no obvious outcome and no fixed driver line-up for the upcoming years, Lawrence Stroll's team are interested in roping in two big names in the world of F1, Oscar Piastri and Charles Leclerc.As per the report by GP Blog, Ralf Schumacher shared a clear verdict about Oscar Piastri's link to Aston Martin. Speaking about the same, here's what he said:"The rumors in the paddock are clear: Aston Martin is urgently looking for a change around 2026 or after 2026 at the latest. I get the impression that he’s thinking, ‘I’m not putting myself through all this anymore,’ especially with all the criticism and online backlash he’s been facing.""Naturally, they’re looking for two strong drivers. One candidate is Oscar Piastri — I can say with pretty solid confidence that those talks are already happening — and of course Charles Leclerc, if he wants it, that’s another option. And who knows, they might even try to find a way to exit a contract early if there’s an alternative line-up for next year. Otherwise, it just doesn’t make sense to stay," he further added.While the rumors about Leclerc moving away from the Prancing Horse found pace over the last few months, it was not the same for Piastri, who is competing for his first-ever F1 Championship. However, there could be a ramp-up in the driver market if things go south with him at McLaren.Oscar Piastri on his stint with McLaren: "Can stand up for ourselves"Oscar Piastri assured that he could stand up for himself at McLaren. The Australian driver's admission came after rumors about his link away from the Papayas made rounds around the paddock. Snubbing it, here's what he told the media:Oscar Piastri of Australia drives the (81) McLaren F1 Team MCL39 Mercedes - Source: Getty"I think for me, we're always very open with each other in terms of what we think. Whether we think things have been fair, whether we think the right decisions have been made, and from that side of things, we can stand up for ourselves, and I feel very comfortable doing that and that's very much encouraged by the team to kind of make our point for ourselves individually." (Via Sky Sports)Oscar Piastri is currently in a long-term contract with McLaren, as his contract expires at the end of the 2028 season. Charles Leclerc, on the other hand, still has one more year in his contract at Ferrari.
