Oscar Piastri's manager and former Red Bull racer Mark Webber clicked with KTM superstar Pedro Acosta in Mugello ahead of the Italian MotoGP race

Mark Webber was present at the Italian MotoGP race at the Mugello circuit and met Red Bull KTM driver Pedro Acosta. The latter has emerged as the lead driver for the Austrian giant and had a pre-race chat with the former Red Bull F1 driver.

Webber had a decorated F1 career as he made his debut with Minardi in 2002 and emerged as the lead driver with Red Bull in the following years. Though he was unable to win a world championship as Sebastian Vettel had the upper hand in the intra-team battle and ended his racing chapter with nine Grand Prix victories to his name.

Despite his racing chapter closing, his love for motorsports did not fade. The 48-year-old was often present at various F1 race weekends and recently visited the Mugello circuit in Italy for the MotoGP race.

There, he met Pedro Acosta, and the two had a small chat before the race began, where the Spaniard brought home an P8 finish:

"Pre-race pep-talk with one of the greats @AussieGrit. Thanks for stopping by! 🤩"

With his reduced role in the F1 paddock, Mark Webber had more time on his hands and became the manager of Australia's rising F1 star, Oscar Piastri, in his racing journey.

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Mark Webber reveals how Oscar Piastri has upped his game this year

Oscar Piastri (L) and Mark Webber (R) at the F1 Grand Prix of Qatar - Source: Getty

Mark Webber had been at the helm of landing Piastri a seat at McLaren in 2023 when the Alpine saga broke out. Moreover, this move eventually acted as a masterstroke as the French team sits last in the constructors' standings, while the Woking-based squad had a massive lead at the top of the championship table.

Piastri has switched his role from being a second fiddle last year to being the lead driver in the standings. This sudden switch in the 24-year-old's abilities was commended by Webber, who said on the F1 Nation podcast:

"I think that’s, as a Formula 1 driver, a big component of your profession, so it’s something that’s not lost on him, that over your journey, when you’re up against Max, Charles [Leclerc], Lando, Lewis [Hamilton], like these guys in the first few years, there’s some serious artillery there over one lap."

"And to put it all together, we know how sensitive it is to execute these cars and tyres on Saturday, so because of the intelligence of the boy and understanding what he needs to improve, yeah. But as I say to him, you have the most experience the day you retire, so keep learning.

Meanwhile, Piastri has a 22-point advantage over Lando Norris in the drivers' championship standings after the Briton recorded a DNF at the Canadian GP, with the Aussie bringing home a P4 finish.