Lando Norris believes that the departure of four‑time champion Max Verstappen would be a genuine loss for his fellow competitors and for Formula 1 as a whole, yet he is confident the Dutch driver will "stay longer than people say." Norris' comments came during a McLaren media session where he and teammate Oscar Piastri, both of whom challenged Verstappen for the 2023 title, were asked to weigh in on the Red Bull star's future. Norris began by acknowledging Verstappen's freedom to choose 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 habit of speaking his mind, regardless of whether others agree.
"He's always been that guy – not just now. He's always been very open about what he thinks, whether you agree or not, whether he should say it or shouldn't.
He's himself, and I think that's a very good way to live your life," Norris added. The British driver warned that losing Verstappen would be a blow to the sport.
"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," he said. Norris also noted that while Verstappen makes life "incredibly tough" for his rivals, he is also a joy to race against. "He's always good fun to race against and it's always cool to race against someone who'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 concluded. When the conversation turned to the upcoming 2026 regulations, Norris expressed a mixed view. The new rule package will see cars powered by a 50‑50 split between internal‑combustion engines and electric systems, a shift that has divided opinion among drivers. "I think it's relative for different people because when you see the new guys who come in and this is their first year in Formula 1, everyone is like 'yeah, these cars are sick!'" Norris explained.
He added that veterans who have spent years in the previous generation of machinery have a different perspective, as they have a benchmark to compare against. "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," he said, hoping that the performance gap will narrow over time. Norris also hinted that Verstappen's ambition remains unquenched.
"I was just told he said he wants to win a fifth world championship at the minute, so I'm sure he'll stay longer than people say," the McLaren driver remarked, underscoring the Dutchman's hunger for further success. Oscar Piastri echoed a similar sentiment.
"It would be a shame for the sport to lose Max, especially at this point in his career. I think it would be a big loss for the sport as a whole," the Australian said.
He stressed that drivers thrive on competing against the very best, and Verstappen has set the benchmark for the past decade, particularly over the last five or six years. "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.
He's been the benchmark, so it would be a pretty big shame and obviously not a great look," Piastri added. The discussion of Verstappen's future intensified after it was revealed 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 through the end of the 2028 season, although it contains performance‑related clauses that could allow an early exit if certain targets aren't met.
Speculation about where Verstappen might go if he ever leaves Red Bull has long centered on Mercedes, with informal talks reportedly taking place over the past two years. The recent Lambiase move, however, has raised the question of whether McLaren could become a serious contender for the Dutchman's services.
When Sky Sports News asked McLaren chief executive Zak Brown about the possibility, 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. Obviously if one were to go away, yeah, Max is a huge talent but I'm not anticipating that." Brown was asked where Verstappen might end up if he does leave Red Bull. "If I had to bet, I'd say to Mercedes," he said, reinforcing the long‑standing rumour that the German team remains the most likely destination.
Regarding Lambiase's potential early move to McLaren before 2028, Brown clarified the team's stance: "There's always a chance, but he has a contract and we're going to respect that. Obviously in conversations with Red Bull, they obviously need to, I presume, have a solution and then once and if that's in place, we're open to having a dialogue. But we're prepared to wait until '28 and that's what we'll do if that's what ends up happening." As the sport looks ahead to the Miami Grand Prix, the second Sprint weekend of the season, the conversation around Verstappen's longevity continues to dominate headlines. While his contract runs until 2028, the combination of his personal ambition, the evolving technical regulations, and the shifting landscape of team dynamics suggests that the Dutch champion may indeed remain a central figure in Formula 1 for longer than many observers anticipate.