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Former F1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya has claimed that Max Verstappen could join Aston Martin after the 2026 season. The Dutchman will continue driving for Red Bull next season, but a future with the Laurent Mekies-led team after next year will be entirely contingent on car performance.
Verstappen's manager, Raymond Vermeulen, has made it crystal clear that 2026 will be a decisive year in their partnership with Red Bull. If the Milton Keynes outfit builds a challenger worthy of podiums and race wins, the four-time F1 champion could extend his stay.
"Max wants to win more championships in the future. He's not done in that regard, but he is dependent on the equipment. So I think 2026 will be a very important year, one that will determine where his future lies in Formula 1," Vermeulen said before the Azerbaijan GP weekend.
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In the unfortunate case that Red Bull isn't contending for the F1 championship and Max Verstappen decides to leave the team, Mercedes, which is expected to be the best team under the new technical regulations, has been the most talked-about destination. However, Juan Pablo Montoya believes Aston Martin would be a better choice than the Silver Arrows.
"I think next year, if Red Bull doesn't work, Max will choose between Aston Martin and Mercedes, whoever is more competitive. Realistically, I think the Aston makes a lot more sense – it is familiar territory," the Colombian driver told Jackpot City Casino (as quoted by The Independent).
At Aston Martin, Verstappen will be reunited with Adrian Newey, the technical wizard responsible for the Dutchman's four F1 championships with Red Bull. Fernando Alonso, who could leave AMR and retire from F1 after 2026, has predicted that the Lawrence Stroll-led team will be contending for the championship under the new technical regulations by 2027, if not 2026.
Toto Wolff reveals nature of talks with Max Verstappen during the summer break
Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff and Max Verstappen met during F1's summer break in Sardinia, Italy. The Red Bull driver and his girlfriend, Kelly Piquet, were seen meeting the Mercedes boss and his wife, Susie Wolff, on a yacht.
The meeting came at a time when rumors about Verstappen eyeing a seat at Mercedes, which has neither of its drivers under contract for 2026, were swirling in the paddock. Toto Wolff recently revealed the nature of the conversations they had during that meeting, saying (via PlanetF1):
"We didn’t discuss big sporting methods too much in the summer. It was more on a, let’s say, personal level."
Even though Max Verstappen has committed to Red Bull for 2026, Mercedes still hasn't renewed the contracts of George Russell and rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli yet. Only seven races remain in the 2025 F1 season, with the Singapore GP night race up next on the weekend of October 3-5.
