'Big loss' for F1 if Verstappen quits, say McLaren rivals

McLaren duo Lando Norris (C) and Oscar Piastri (R) feel F1 would be worse off if Max Verstappen were to walk away from the spot (Andrej ISAKOVIC)

(Andrej ISAKOVIC/AFP/AFP)

If four-time world champion Max Verstappen were to quit Formula One, as he has hinted on numerous occasions, it would be a "big loss" for the sport, his McLaren rivals Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri said on Wednesday.

The 28-year-old Dutchman, who won four consecutive titles from 2021 to 2024 and narrowly missed a fifth last season, has struggled at the start of this campaign with Red Bull against Mercedes, Ferrari and McLaren.

Verstappen has repeatedly voiced his frustration at the sport's sweeping 2026 rules overhaul, which places greater emphasis on electric energy management in qualifying and races, as well as limiting car speeds.

"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," said Piastri.

The 25-year-old Australian said Verstappen had "shown his calibre in the last 10 years" and added that the Dutchman had been the benchmark "for the last five or six".

Norris, the 2025 world champion, believes Verstappen's exit would leave F1 a poorer place.

"It would be a shame for the sport, it would be a miss for the sport if that does happen, because he probably is one of the best drivers you'll see in Formula One ever," said Norris.

"He's always been very open to say what he thinks, whether you agree or not."

Verstappen has openly criticised his Red Bull car and likened the direction of F1 to "Formula E on steroids" or the video game "Mario Kart".

At last month's Japanese Grand Prix, he spoke of wanting to spend more time with his family and has increasingly turned his attention to endurance racing.

nr/cpb/mw