Lando Norris believes that Max Verstappen would be greatly missed by his fellow competitors and by the sport of Formula 1 itself if the four‑time world champion ever decided to quit, yet he is confident that the Dutch driver will "stay longer than people say." Norris’ comments come amid ongoing uncertainty about Verstappen’s plans beyond the current season, especially after the champion voiced criticism of the forthcoming 2026 regulations and expressed dissatisfaction with how the current cars have needed to be driven ahead of the upcoming rule changes that are set to be trialled from next week’s Miami Grand Prix. During a McLaren media day on Wednesday, world champion Norris and his teammate Oscar Piastri – both of whom battled Verstappen for the title last year – were asked to weigh in on the Red Bull star’s future.
Norris began by acknowledging Verstappen’s right to chart his own course: "Max has earned the right to go and do whatever he wants. He's won four world championships. 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 you should say it or not.
He’s himself and I think that’s a very good way to live your life." He went on to stress how much the sport would lose if Verstappen ever 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. And I think it would be a shame for us because, as much as he makes our lives incredibly tough at times, he’s always 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 also touched on the new 2026 power‑unit formula, which will split output 50‑50 between internal‑combustion and electric power.
He noted that opinions on the new cars are subjective: "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!’ 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." Nevertheless, he remained optimistic about Verstappen’s longevity: "But hopefully things get better and 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." Piastri echoed a similar sentiment, saying, "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. For us as drivers, we want to race against the best and try to prove ourselves against the best and I think Max has shown his calibre over the last ten years. Especially the last five or six years he’s been the benchmark, so for everyone it would be a pretty big shame and obviously not a great look." The discussion about Verstappen’s future intensified a fortnight earlier when it was revealed that his long‑time race engineer and confidant Gianpiero Lambiase will join McLaren in 2028 after his Red Bull contract expires.
Verstappen’s own agreement with Red Bull runs through the end of the 2028 season, although it contains performance‑based clauses that could allow an early exit if certain targets aren’t met. Should Verstappen choose to continue racing, many analysts have long pointed to Mercedes as the most probable destination if he ever parts ways with Red Bull.
Negotiations between the two parties have reportedly been ongoing for the past two years. The recent move by McLaren to secure Lambiase, however, has raised questions about whether the Woking‑based outfit could become a serious contender for Verstappen’s services in the future. When Sky Sports News asked McLaren chief executive Zak Brown about the possibility, Brown replied, "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, yes, Max is a huge talent but I’m not anticipating that. Where might he go?
If I had to bet, I’d say to Mercedes." Regarding Lambiase’s potential move before 2028, Brown said, "There’s always a chance, but he has a contract and we’re going to respect that. Obviously in conversations with Red Bull, they presumably need to have a solution and once that’s in place they’d 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." In summary, while Verstappen’s immediate future remains uncertain due to his outspoken views on the upcoming regulation changes and the performance of the current cars, both Norris and Piastri stress that his departure would be a significant blow to Formula 1. Their confidence that Verstappen will continue racing – potentially aiming for a fifth championship – reflects a broader belief within the paddock that his talent and competitive spirit are still very much needed.
As the sport heads toward the Miami Grand Prix, the second Sprint weekend of the season, fans and teams alike will be watching closely to see how the Dutchman’s ambitions align with the evolving technical landscape and contract negotiations that could shape the next era of Formula 1.