Lando Norris has voiced his belief that Max Verstappen, the four‑time world champion, would be sorely missed by his fellow competitors and the sport as a whole if the Dutch driver ever decided to retire – yet Norris is convinced that the Red Bull star will "stay longer than people say." Norris' comments came during a McLaren media day where he and teammate Oscar Piastri, both of whom challenged Verstappen for the 2023 title, were asked to weigh in on the future of the reigning champion. Norris began by acknowledging Verstappen's right to chart his own path. "Max has earned the right to go and do whatever he wants.
He's won four world championships," the Briton said. He highlighted the Dutchman's reputation for speaking his mind, regardless of whether his opinions are popular. "He's always been that guy – not just now – very open about what he thinks, whether you agree or not. He's himself, and I think that's a great way to live your life," Norris added.
The young driver stressed how much the sport would lose if Verstappen walked away. "It would be a shame for the sport, it will be a miss for the sport, if that does happen because he probably is one of the best drivers you'll see in Formula 1 ever," Norris asserted. He also noted the personal impact on his own team: "He makes our lives incredibly tough at times, but he's always fun to race against.
It's cool to race against someone who's won four championships. You always want to test yourself against the best in the world, and he certainly is one of them. So yes, it would be a loss for the sport." The discussion then turned to the upcoming 2026 technical regulations, which introduce a 50‑50 split between internal‑combustion and electric power.
Norris admitted that opinions on the new cars are mixed. "I think it's relative for different people because when you see the new guys in their first year, everyone says, 'these cars are sick!'" he said. "For the drivers who've spent a season in last year's machinery, we have a benchmark to compare against, so it's all kind of relative for everyone." Despite the uncertainty surrounding the new era, Norris remains confident that Verstappen will continue to chase further glory. "I was just told he wants to win a fifth world championship at the minute, so I'm sure he'll stay longer than people say," he remarked.
Oscar Piastri echoed a similar sentiment. "It would be a shame for the sport to lose Max, especially at this point in his career," the Australian driver said. "We want to race against the best and prove ourselves, and Max has set the benchmark over the last decade, particularly the last five or six years. Losing him would be a big loss for the sport as a whole." The conversation about Verstappen's future intensified after news broke that his long‑time race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase will join McLaren in 2028 when his Red Bull contract expires.
Verstappen's own deal with Red Bull runs until the end of the 2028 season, though it contains performance‑related clauses that could allow an early exit if certain targets aren't met. Should Verstappen decide to move on, Mercedes has traditionally been viewed as the most likely destination. Negotiations between the two parties have been reported over the past two years, and many analysts see a potential switch to the German team as the most plausible scenario.
McLaren's chief executive Zak Brown was asked whether Lambiase's arrival could make the Woking outfit a serious contender for Verstappen in the future. Brown responded enthusiastically about his current driver lineup: "From McLaren's point of view, I couldn't be happier with Lando and Oscar.
We have long‑term agreements with them, and I think it's the greatest driver pairing on and off the track, so we have no intention of replacing any of our two superstars." When pressed about where Verstappen might go if he ever left Red Bull, Brown offered a straightforward prediction: "If I had to bet, I'd say to Mercedes." He added that while there is always a chance Lambiase could join McLaren before 2028, the team intends to respect the existing contract. "Obviously in conversations with Red Bull, they need to have a solution, and once that's in place, we would be open to a dialogue. But we're prepared to wait until '28 and that's what we'll do if that's what ends up happening." Beyond the speculation, the immediate focus for drivers and fans alike is the upcoming Miami Grand Prix, which will host the second Sprint weekend of the season from May 1‑3.
The event will be broadcast live on Sky Sports F1, with streaming options available via NOW without a long‑term contract. In summary, Norris and Piastri both agree that Verstappen's presence enriches Formula 1, making the competition more challenging and entertaining. While the 2026 regulation changes and contractual nuances add layers of uncertainty, the consensus among his peers is that the Dutch champion still has plenty of chapters left to write in the sport. Whether he stays at Red Bull, moves to Mercedes, or even entertains a future with McLaren, the prevailing view is that Verstappen's talent and personality will continue to shape Formula 1 for years to come.