Montoya names surprising candidate if Verstappen ends up leaving Red Bull
Who would Red Bull turn to if Max Verstappen left for Mercedes to join George Russell? Juan Pablo Montoya has named the driver he thinks would be the right fit for the team currently led by Laurent Mekies.
While waiting to see what final decision Max Verstappen will make about his future, Red Bull obviously needs to prepare just in case the four-time world champion does choose to move to Mercedes next year.
Who would they potentially choose to replace an exceptional talent of Verstappen’s caliber?
''If Max leaves and they don’t let George go, Red Bull will probably sign Sainz and put Kimi in Williams. Why didn’t they do it earlier? Well, because there was a chance they wouldn’t go through with it before.''
This is Juan Pablo Montoya’s opinion, shared during the MontoyAS podcast for W Radio Colombia, where he believes Red Bull had the chance to sign Sainz even last year.
''Yes, they had the option to bring Carlos in, but Max didn’t want Carlos as a teammate. So, it’s complicated. That’s the only thing—I don’t think Max has any say or choice in who will join him at Mercedes. That’s the one thing I don’t believe Red Bull could achieve.''
Rumors about Verstappen's future intensify
In recent weeks, Verstappen’s future has sparked plenty of discussion, with many rumors swirling about a possible switch to Mercedes. The speculation intensified when both Toto Wolff and Max Verstappen were spotted in Sardinia.
While GPblog dismissed this as mere coincidence, Montoya remained skeptical and even hinted that a contract could already be signed. According to this site, Verstappen is expected to decide on his future only after the summer break.
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