Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris have warned of consequences for Formula 1 if the disgruntled four-time world champion chooses to walk away from the sport in the near future.
The 2026 F1 regulations continue to spark debate amongst drivers, with Max Verstappen continuing to be the most vocal of critics.
Labelling the new rules in their format prior to the FIA’s changes announced for the Miami Grand Prix as “Formula E on steroids”, he has openly admitted to struggling to enjoy racing in 2026.
This has led to speculation that the four-time world champion could walk away from the sport, before he secures a fifth title.
But Piastri warned of consequences for the sport should he walk away, describing the prospect as a “big loss”.
“It would be a shame if that does end up happening,” he said to select media, including Motorsport Week, at a McLaren media day on Wednesday.
“Clearly, the Red Bull doesn’t look like the most competitive car at the moment, but I think the regulations are… they’re obviously being worked on, but they’ve needed quite a lot of work and they’re certainly more complex.
“I think it would be a shame for the sport to lose Max, especially at this point in his career as well.
“I think it would be a big loss for the sport as a whole.
“I think for us, as drivers, we want to race against the best and try and prove ourselves against the best.
“I think Max has shown his calibre in the last 10 years and I think, especially the last five or six, he’s been the benchmark.
“So I think for everyone it would be a pretty big shame and obviously not a great look.”
Lando Norris: Max Verstappen “has earned the right to go and do whatever he wants”
Norris echoed his teammate’s sentiment, praising his open and honest critique of the rules, giving his own take on whether the Dutchman would walk away.
Max has earned the right to go and do whatever he wants,” he said.
“He’s won four world championships.”And he’s always been that guy, it’s not just now. He’s always been very open to say what he thinks, whether you agree or not or whether you should say it or shouldn’t. He’s himself and I think that’s a very good way to live your life.
“And I think it would be a shame for us because I think as much as he makes our lives incredibly tough at times, he’s always good fun to race against and it’s always cool to race against someone that’s won four championships. You always feel like you want to race against the best in the world and he certainly is one of them so yeah it would be a loss for the sport.”
Norris also confirmed the drivers have had input on the new rules, highlighting that the experience level on the grid is impacting perception and enjoyment of the racing.
“I think it’s relative for different people because when you see that the new guys who come in and this is their first year in Formula 1 everyone is like ‘yeah these cars are sick’,” he said.
“For the guys who have driven last year’s cars and for some of the previous ones, of course, we have something to compare against and it’s all kind of relative for everyone
“But hopefully things get better and I was just told he said he wants to win fifth world championship at the minute, so I’m sure he’ll stay longer than people say.”
Piastri mirrored his teammate’s sentiments, believing Verstappen to be “the benchmark” in F1.
“It be would be a shame for the sport to lose Max, you know especially at this point in his career as well. I think it would be a big loss for the sport as a whole,” he said.
“For us as drivers, we want to race against the best and try and prove ourselves against the best and I think Max has shown his calibre in the last 10 years. I think especially the last five or six he’s been the benchmark so, for everyone it would be a pretty big shame and obviously not a great look.”
Both Norris and Piastri are aware of the implications should Verstappen retire, and their attempt to see the positives will not be lost on other drivers or those battling to persuade the Dutchman to stay in F1.
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