Oscar Piastri issues damning verdict on potential Max Verstappen F1 exit

Oscar Piastri has delivered arguably the most damning verdict yet of Max Verstappen's peers on a topic that has become the major talking point of the current F1 season.

Verstappen has made his dislike of the new regulations unequivocally clear since first stepping into the cockpit of Red Bull's RB22 following the switch to a 50-50 split between combustion and electrical energy.

When the rules were first mooted a few years ago, even then, the four-time F1 champion voiced his concern about what he felt would transpire. What Verstappen has since experienced has merely underlined his early thoughts.

Verstappen has gone so far as to suggest he could quit F1 sooner rather than later, potentially as early as the end of this season, which McLaren driver Piastri feels would be damaging for the sport.

"It would be a shame if that does end up happening," said Piastri, speaking to the media, including RacingNews365, at an event at the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking on Wednesday.

"Clearly, the Red Bull doesn't look like the most competitive car at the moment, but the regulations are obviously being worked on, and they've needed quite a lot of work. They're certainly more complex.

"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.

"For us as drivers, we want to race against the best, to 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 for everyone, it would be a pretty big shame," before damningly concluding, "Obviously not a great look."