Breaking news: Max Verstappen to Mercedes quashed in ‘not going to leave’ Red Bull ruling.
Juan Pablo Montoya, a seven-time Formula One race winner, is willing to “bet money” that Max Verstappen stays at Red Bull amid Mercedes speculation, while downplaying the relevance of F1 2026 in that regard.
Verstappen is under contract with Red Bull until the end of 2028, but Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff has publicly expressed his desire to bring the reigning three-time World Champion to Brackley. 0:51 / 1:41 Hill: Red Bull needs to get Perez up the… fluid logo. Juan Pablo Montoya says Max Verstappen stays with Red Bull.
While Verstappen and Red Bull are the dominant power in Formula One, the F1 2026 campaign has been noted as a reset that could influence Verstappen’s future, with new-look cars.
Mercedes has spoken boldly about their 2026 PU, while Red Bull prepares to become a power unit manufacturer on their own for the first time in 2026, in collaboration with Ford.
However, Montoya believes the chances of Red Bull dropping the ball on the F1 2026 PU are “very slim,” and has ruled out the possibility of Verstappen going on.
“That won’t happen. Max is not planning to leave. “I bet money with you that he’ll be back in the Red Bull next season,” Montoya told Formula1.nl.
