‘A big loss’: Piastri says F1 needs ‘benchmark’ driver

Oscar Piastri believes it will be a “big loss” and “not a great look” for Formula One if four-times champion Max Verstappen walks away disillusioned from the sport.

Both the Australian ace and his McLaren world champion teammate Lando Norris talked on Wednesday of their admiration and respect for the Red Bull pilot that Piastri called the benchmark for all drivers in F1.

But the 28-year-old Dutchman Verstappen has been the most outspoken critic of F1’s total revamp in 2026, adamant that he’s lost his enjoyment in a sport he’s now comparing to Mario Kart and hinting at the last race in Japan that he could walk away.

Asked about that possibility by journalists at McLaren’s English headquarters in Woking, Piastri said: “I think it would be a shame for the sport to lose Max, especially at this point in his career as well.

“It would be a big loss for the sport as a whole.

“As drivers, we want to race against and try and prove ourselves against the best. Max has shown his calibre in the last 10 years. Especially the last five or six, he’s been the benchmark.

“So I think for everyone, it would be a pretty big shame, and obviously not a great look.”

Norris added: “Max has earned the right to go and do whatever he wants. He’s won four World Championships, he’s always been the guy.

“So it will 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 One ever.

“And I think it’ll be a shame for us, because as much as he makes our lives incredibly tough at times, he’s always good fun to race against.

“But hopefully things get better. And he said he wants to win a fifth world championship at the minute, so I’m sure he’ll stay longer than people say.”

During the break in the program, due to cancelled grand prix in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia because of the Middle East conflict, changes have been introduced to appease drivers and improve racing for the next round in Miami on May 3, where Mercedes’ teen ace Kimi Antonelli and George Russell will start as pacesetters.

They include allowing drivers to go flat-out for longer in qualifying, and a boost-button cap to mitigate the impact of dangerous closing speeds.

Asked what he thought, Piastri smiled: “I need to go through all the details of the rules and someone smarter than me to explain what has changed!

“But it is a step in the right direction for sure. How far it goes in addressing the problems, we will have to wait and see until we get on track.”