Max Verstappen and Red Bull returned to the spotlight during the Miami Grand Prix weekend. The Dutch driver qualified on the third row for the Sprint and finished ahead of Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari in the short race before delivering an even stronger performance in Grand Prix qualifying, where he secured a front-row start alongside Andrea Kimi Antonelli.
Verstappen’s race, however, immediately became complicated after a spin at the start. Although he managed to keep the car under control, the incident dropped him into the midfield with tyres that were clearly no longer in ideal condition.
The Safety Car then allowed Red Bull to gamble on an immediate switch to hard tyres, but the expected rain never arrived. As a result, Verstappen gradually lost ground during the closing stages of the race, eventually finishing fifth. Even so, it still represented his best result of the season and came at the end of a performance that was widely considered highly respectable given the circumstances.
According to Juan Pablo Montoya, Verstappen remains far too important an asset for Formula 1 to spend too long fighting without a realistic chance of winning races. For that reason, the Colombian believes the Dutchman will ultimately make the correct decision regarding his future beyond 2027.
“McLaren spoke with Max Verstappen last year, but they decided they could not afford what Max was asking for,” Montoya explained while speaking to Betpack. “A year ago Max could ask for any figure he wanted, but now I think he would even accept a pay cut if it meant getting a competitive car.”
“Max Verstappen only wants to win and now he has to deal with the fact that he is no longer in a position to do that consistently. It’s the first time he has experienced this situation and it’s not easy.”
“In Formula 1 Max has so much power and such a huge following that it’s important for Formula 1 that Max wins races. I think Formula 1 will make sure he ends up in the right place.”
The perspective shared by Juan Pablo Montoya reflects the unique gravity Max Verstappen holds within the Formula 1 ecosystem. As the sport continues to evolve through its latest technical era, the positioning of its most dominant stars remains a key driver of global interest and commercial success. Max Verstappen’s competitive hunger therefore outweighs financial considerations, and his influence is significant enough that the sport’s moving pieces will likely align to ensure he returns to a front-running cockpit by 2027.
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