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Former McLaren driver Juan Pablo Montoya feels that Max Verstappen is at a pivotal point in his career where things could take a different turn and put his potential future success in jeopardy. The Dutch driver is currently a part of Red Bull, and it does appear that he will continue his stint with the team into 2026.
At the moment, Verstappen is an outside contender in the championship with the McLaren duo of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri in the top two slots. The Red Bull star is currently more than 40 points behind the duo, and it does appear that it will be hard for him to enter title contention, as the car is just a step behind.
With that being said, there are bigger questions at play for Max Verstappen when it comes to where his future lies. The driver has asserted that he is not looking at a future beyond Red Bull for now and is committed to the team. At the same time, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has seemingly put a halt on signing a contract extension with George Russell in what appears to be a late bid to sign Verstappen.
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The regulations change in 2026, and we will have an entirely new PU. Red Bull is building its own PU for the first time, and many expect the team to struggle. At the same time, there have been suggestions that Mercedes could have the best PU on the grid.
Talking about the situation Verstappen finds himself in, Juan Pablo Montoya told CasinoHawks that the 2026 regulations are going to be a major question mark for the driver, as he could end up at a place where he can't win, just like it has been the case with Lewis Hamilton in the last few years. He said:
"The question is the 2026 rules. The question is not how good Max is. You can say Lewis won seven. But Lewis was in the right car for six of them. And the other one as well, McLaren. He left McLaren at the right time and went to Mercedes at the right time."
He added:
“So, can Red Bull still dominate with the new rules with no Adrian Newey? This is the first time Red Bull is going to go to a new regulation without Newey. That’s the million dollar question.”
Former F1 driver feels Max Verstappen's father would be keeping an eye on Adrian Newey's team
Juan Pablo Montoya also feels that Max Verstappen's father in his camp would be the one keeping a close eye on the proceedings at Aston Martin. Jos Verstappen is someone who has been around the sport for a long time and knows how things can change and what key ingredients help.
Newey would be building his first car with Aston Martin next season, and hence all eyes will be on what he can accomplish with the team. Montoya said:
“I think that’s probably more in the back of Jos mind than Max Verstappen's. Jos has been around longer and understands it better, and he understands how important it is to have the right person building the car. Newey is outstanding. If somebody deserves a trophy for championships, it should be him more than anybody else.”
Max Verstappen heads to Austria this weekend, one of his favorite tracks, where he has won six times. He will be looking to pick up his seventh with Red Bull.
