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'Verstappen will jump ship to Mercedes if given the right offer'
Former F1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya believes that Max Verstappen may move to Mercedes sooner than previously thought. Verstappen recently announced that he's expecting his first child with girlfriend Kelly Piquet. After this, retirement rumours swirled. The former McLaren driver has a different view of events. He doesn't see the Dutchman leaving Formula 1 but expects him to jump ship to Mercedes if he is given the right opportunity.
Montoya: 'Verstappen will leave Red Bull'
“I think Max Verstappen will end up leaving in a couple of years. He won’t leave the sport. It’s the ultimate. He’ll leave Red Bull," Montoya began in conversation with Instant Casino. “He doesn't have it that difficult. Yes, it's hard because he works really hard. He has a stable job. And he kind of controls a lot of what happens (At Red Bull).
The seven-time Grand Prix winner continued: "The big question is, is Max willing to play cool if 2026 is bad? You know, if Red Bull comes with the powertrains and it's not where it needs to be, is Max going to be happy running tenth? No."
'It's very easy for Verstappen to be loyal if he's winning'
If Red Bull's Ford powertrain makes them slower than other teams on the grid, Montoya thinks he knows exactly what Verstappen's next move will be. "If Mercedes comes with an offer, he is going to jump ship straight away. It's very easy to be loyal when you win in races. If I was in his shoes, for sure, I would be looking at that already," Montoya continued. Mercedes' power unit is widely expected to be one of, if not the best unit on the grid in 2026. As Renault leaves the sport as an engine manufacturer, Audi will join.
“It would surprise me if he's not (Looking). Publically, he would say, ’No way,’ but internally, I would be surprised if a conversation was not going on.” Montoya concluded.
This article was written in collaboration with Nicole Mulder
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