Juan Pablo Montoya believes Max Verstappen made the right decision by committing his future to Red Bull, arguing that the Milton Keynes team remains the ideal environment for the four-time Formula 1 world champion. The Colombian also claims Red Bull has built its operation heavily around Verstappen and often gives new upgrades to him before his team-mates.
Max Verstappen extended his Red Bull contract until the end of 2030 ahead of the Dutch Grand Prix, bringing an end to months of speculation about his future. That uncertainty had included suggestions that he could move to another Formula 1 team, as well as speculation over whether his dissatisfaction with the new regulations could eventually lead him to walk away from the championship altogether.
Juan Pablo Montoya backs Max Verstappen’s Red Bull decision
Juan Pablo Montoya was not surprised by Verstappen’s choice. Rather than leaving Red Bull to pursue the fastest car currently on the grid, the Dutchman opted to remain with the team and attempt to help rebuild it following a difficult 2026 season.
“If I were Max Verstappen, I would have stayed at Red Bull as well,” Juan Pablo Montoya told BetBrothers. “I think the fact that he was negotiating with other teams was simply a tactic aimed at pushing up the price. After all, Red Bull is the right environment for him and he is the right driver for them.”
Verstappen’s future had been the subject of considerable debate before the new agreement was announced, particularly because his previous deal included performance-related mechanisms that could potentially have opened the door to a departure. Even after signing the extension, Verstappen retains routes out of his Red Bull contract under certain circumstances.
Montoya claims Red Bull prioritises Max Verstappen with upgrades
Montoya believes the relationship works because Red Bull is prepared to structure the team around Verstappen and give him the support required to maximise his performance. In his view, that approach can also influence how new technical developments are distributed between the two cars.
“They are willing to do anything for him, they have built everything around him,” Montoya added. “Remember when Perez said Red Bull would be happy to run only one car? Many times, when Red Bull introduces upgrades, they give them to Max first.”
Montoya also referred to the 2026 Italian Grand Prix at Monza, arguing that differences in specification could make direct comparisons between Verstappen and Liam Lawson more difficult.
“Even at Monza, it is difficult to evaluate Liam Lawson’s performance because you don’t know whether the two cars were actually running the same specification,” Montoya said.
The claim comes during a season in which Red Bull has struggled to reproduce the dominance of previous years. The RB22 has presented Verstappen with a very different challenge, with the car’s weaknesses making it harder for Verstappen to extract his traditional advantage over his team-mates.
Max Verstappen chooses Red Bull rebuild over switching teams
Montoya’s assessment ultimately reflects his belief that moving away from Red Bull would not necessarily have been the best option for Verstappen, even with faster cars available elsewhere. The four-time champion has spent the most successful years of his Formula 1 career with the team and has now chosen continuity over an immediate change of environment.
For Montoya, Red Bull’s willingness to place Verstappen at the centre of its project is precisely why the partnership remains logical. As the team attempts to recover competitiveness under Formula 1’s new regulations, the Colombian believes both sides still have strong reasons to continue together.
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