‘Big Loss’ For F1 If Verstappen Quits, Say McLaren Rivals

Red Bull Racing’s Dutch driver Max Verstappen celebrates his victory on the podium after winning the Italian Formula One Grand Prix at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza circuit, in Monza, northern Italy, on September 7, 2025. (Photo by Philippe Lopez / AFP)     Advertisement googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display("div-gpt-ad-1672569656851-0"); }); 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. Advertisement googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display("div-gpt-ad-1672569913499-0"); }); 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.” Advertisement googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display("div-gpt-ad-1672587799169-0"); }); 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. AFP Advertisement googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display("div-gpt-ad-1672587060870-0"); }); Join Our Whatsapp Channel To join: Simply click on the link below & turn on notifications to get the latest updates Subscribe to Our Newsletter In This Article: F1 Verstappen More Stories F1: Alonso To Replace Vettel At Aston Martin In 2023 Verstappen Wins Emilia Romagna Grand Prix Russian Grand Prix Cancelled In Wake Of Ukraine Crisis /* * * CONFIGURATION VARIABLES: EDIT BEFORE PASTING INTO YOUR WEBPAGE * * / var disqus_shortname = 'channelstelevision'; // Required - Replace example with your forum shortname / * * DON'T EDIT BELOW THIS LINE * * */ (function() { var dsq = document.createElement('script'); dsq.type = 'text/javascript'; dsq.async = true; dsq.src = '//' + disqus_shortname + '.disqus.com/embed.js'; (document.getElementsByTagName('head')[0] || document.getElementsByTagName('body')[0]).appendChild(dsq); })(); Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.

SOURCE: https://www.channelstv.com/2026/04/23/big-loss-for-f1-if-verstappen-quits-say-mclaren-rivals/