Norris and Piastri, ‘appeal’ to Verstappen: “It would be a shame if he left F1. It would be a loss for the sport”

A legendary ‘triello’ The three of them together gave life to one of the most balanced championships ever, giving Formula 1 an incredible three-way sprint for the title that had been missing for fifteen years: Lando Norris, Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri – in strict 2025 ranking order – were the absolute protagonists of the last F1 season, before the new technical regulations substantially changed the values ​​on the field. The new rules, indigestible to many, were greatly opposed by Verstappen who admitted several times that he was considering a possible abandonment of Formula 1 (at not even 29 years of age) to concentrate on other championships that “enjoy him more”. The question of the Dutch superstar’s possible withdrawal from the category was put to the two McLaren drivers during a press conference organized by the Woking team with the main industry media, which was also present. Both Piastri and Norris, despite the heated challenges of last season, wanted to make a sort of ‘appeal’ to Verstappen, both expressing the hope that the Dutchman will continue to compete in F1 and – above all – recognizing that an abandonment of the grid by the four-time world champion would represent significant image damage for the entire Circus. A defeat for F1 “It would be a shame if it actually happened – commented Piastri – clearly Red Bull doesn’t look like the most competitive car at the moment, but I think the regulations are under review, they need a lot of changes and are certainly more complex. So I think it would be a shame for the sport to lose Max, especially at this stage of his career. It would be a great loss for the sport as a whole. We drivers want to race against the best and try to prove our worth and I think Max has proved his worth in recent 10 years and that especially in the last five or six it has been the point of reference. So I think it would be a real shame for everyone and obviously [la F1] He wouldn’t make a good impression on us.” Norris also positioned himself on the same line, who moreover is linked to Verstappen by a friendship: “Max has earned the right to do what he wants – observed the reigning world champion – he has won four titles and has always been that type of driver. This is nothing new: he has always been very open in saying what he thinks, whether people agree or not. He’s himself and I think that’s a great way to live life. It would be a shame for the sport and it would be a great loss because he is probably one of the best drivers ever seen in Formula 1. And it would be a shame for us too, because as much as he sometimes makes our life incredibly difficult, it is always a pleasure to race against him. You always want to compete against the best in the world and he is certainly one of them.” Norris’s hope “But I liked watching all the GT races of the weekend – Norris then added with a joke – and if he goes away and gives me something to watch and follow in other categories, this is also good for me”. The Englishman, however, is convinced that in the end Verstappen could retrace his steps and continue competing in F1, despite everything: “For those new to F1 these cars are fantastic, while for those who drove last year’s cars and those even earlier there is a different comparison, everything is relative. But let’s hope things get better. And then I also saw that [Verstappen] he said he wanted to win a fifth title. So I’m sure he’ll be around longer than people think.”