Max Verstappen faces 'million-dollar question' with Lewis Hamilton comparison
Max Verstappen is on course to secure his fifth Drivers' Championship in 2025, but the Red Bull star's future is far from certain. The Dutchman must answer the 'million-dollar question' with father Jos
Ex-Formula One driver Juan Pablo Montoya has sounded an alarm for reigning champion Max Verstappen, drawing parallels to the struggles Lewis Hamilton faced in 2022. Montoya pointed to the upcoming shift in F1 technical regulations as a potential hurdle for Verstappen's Red Bull team.
Despite Verstappen clinching four Drivers' Championship titles since his dramatic win at the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and contending for a fifth in 2025, Red Bull's performance has been waning, evidenced by their fourth-place standing in the Constructors' Championship.
Montoya underscored that if Red Bull's downturn persists with the implementation of novel technical rules in 2026, Verstappen's prospects of further accolades could be jeopardized—mirroring Hamilton's experience.
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Having amassed six World Championships with Mercedes during the turbo-hybrid era, Hamilton found it challenging to adapt to the new generation of cars with the 2022 regulatory overhaul, only securing two Grand Prix wins since then.
In his commentary to CasinoHawks, Montoya highlighted the critical nature of the 2026 changes, emphasizing that success hinges on having the ideal car, much like Hamilton did for most of his championships. "The question is the 2026 rules," Montoya said.
"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. 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.
"I think that's probably more in the back of Jos [Verstappen's] mind than Max'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."
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Of course, if Red Bull can't provide Verstappen with a car capable of fighting for championships in 2026 and beyond, the Dutchman might opt to chance his luck elsewhere. He won't be short of suitors if that is the case.
"Honestly, if I were Max, and if you're thinking 2026-2027, you want to be with Mercedes, personally speaking," Montoya continued. "If I could pick anywhere to go, I would go to Mercedes. If I were looking at 2027 onwards to say 2030, I think Aston [Martin] might be the place to be."
