Lando Norris: Max Verstappen Has “Earned the Right” to Leave F1 as Piastri Says It’s “Not a Great Look”

It’s been a difficult season so far for Max Verstappen , who has witnessed first-hand the struggles that Red Bull Racing have gone through under the new set of Formula 1 regulations. Since the beginning of the season, the Dutchman has also been pretty negative about the racing as a result of these changes, something that has led to subtle threats of early retirement. Now, McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri have given their two cents on their rival’s comments.

Piastri has called it “not a great look” for the series while Norris added that the four-time world champion has earned the right to do whatever he wants. Verstappen floated the possibility of leaving after last month’s Japanese Grand Prix , citing his lack of enjoyment and all-out racing under these new regulations. The Red Bull driver has been openly critical of the power unit rules, which split output nearly 50-50 between internal combustion and electrical power and force drivers to manage battery levels more aggressively than in previous seasons.

Red Bull’s rough start to the year, with Verstappen finishing no higher than sixth in the opening three races, has only made this worse for the driver. ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – DECEMBER 04: Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing, Lando Norris of Great Britain and McLaren and Oscar Piastri of Australia and McLaren attend the Drivers Press Conference during previews ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi at Yas Marina Circuit on December 04, 2025 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images) // Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool // SI202512040218 // Usage for editorial use only // What Norris and Piastri Actually Said Piastri told media including Crash.

net that losing Verstappen would hurt the championship’s credibility. “I think it would be a shame for the sport to lose Max, especially at this point in his career as well. I think it would be a big loss for the sport as a whole,” Piastri said.