Montoya tips Verstappen to replace Alonso at Aston Martin
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Former F1 driver Pablo Montoya believes Max Verstappen will eventually leave Red Bull and land at Aston Martin, replacing Fernando Alonso – possibly as early as 2027.
Aston team owner Lawrence Stroll is rumored to have made Verstappen "a billion dollar offer", an irresistible proposal that Montoya believes will materialize, leading the Dutchman to abandon his Red Bull roots.
The Milton Keynes-based outfit's 2025 season has started on shaky ground. The once-unstoppable team lacks the pace to challenge McLaren, and Verstappen's quest for a fifth consecutive title looks increasingly uncertain.
Adding to the uncertainty is Red Bull's bold move to produce its own power unit starting in 2026, coinciding with F1's sweeping regulatory changes.
Meanwhile, Honda, the engine supplier behind Verstappen's championship-winning years, is set to depart Red Bull and join forces with Aston Martin as a works partner. For Montoya, this shift is a game-changer.
"I think Max will get an offer he can't refuse from Aston Martin," the Colombian stated in an interview with Vision4Sport, adding fuel to the ever-present speculation about Verstappen's future.
The Waiting Game: 2026 as the Decisive Year
Montoya suggests that Verstappen will likely give Red Bull a chance to adapt to the new regulations and engine landscape in 2026. However, if things do not go smoothly, a departure could come quickly.
"He might give Red Bull a chance for a year and a chance for Adrian [Newey] to start figuring it out," Montoya explained.
"Adrian can't do that immediately. It's a whole new group, and everyone needs to start working together.
©RedBull
"Are they going to be better than where they are next year? For sure. But I don't think they're going to start winning a string of races.
"But if Red Bull struggles in year one, then it wouldn't surprise me if by race three, Max has already signed with somebody else."
With Aston Martin securing Honda's power unit expertise and the technical brilliance of Adrian Newey, Montoya sees the British outfit as Verstappen's most logical destination.
"If I were Max, I would go to Aston," Montoya said. "Mercedes would be cool, too, but Aston would be the logical choice, having Adrian and Honda. Everything he has won with is there."
The Alonso Factor
If Verstappen does make the leap to Aston Martin, Montoya sees it happening in 2027—and it would come at the expense of Fernando Alonso, the team's veteran star.
However, Alonso's contract runs through 2026, a year he's hinted that could be his last in F1 as he told The Chequered Flag podcast earlier this year.
"Probably – or at least to start with – it will be my last season in Formula 1 because my contract finishes at the end of 2026, so it's the time of delivering and the time of truth."
Yet the two-time world champion left the door ajar.
"If the 2026 season is running smoothly and we're having a good time and there is a possibility to race one more year, I will be open, for sure."
Montoya, however, envisions a different outcome.
"If Verstappen joined Aston Martin, Fernando Alonso will retire and become an ambassador for life for the company," he said. It's a pragmatic view, rooted in the team's unique dynamics.
With Aston Martin owned by Lawrence Stroll, his son Lance's seat is all but untouchable.
"Fernando would be pissed off to a point, but it's the right choice. If you take Lance out of the equation, then you lose Lawrence. And if you lose Lawrence, you lose everything. You lose Aston Martin, and then there's no Max coming.
"If bringing Max would mean that Lawrence would have to sacrifice Lance, that would be the wrong choice for the team," elaborated Montoya.
"If they forced Lawrence to do that, I think he would say, 'Okay, here's the team. Over to you. Let's just sell the team, I'm not interested.'"
For Montoya, the math is simple: Alonso steps aside, Stroll stays, and Verstappen slots in.
For now, Verstappen remains publicly committed to Red Bull, repeatedly insisting that he's not planning a move. But as Montoya sees it, the longer Red Bull goes without victories, the more tempting Aston Martin's project becomes.
With Newey's design genius, Honda's proven engines, and a state-of-the-art facility in Silverstone, Aston Martin is quietly building a powerhouse.
Verstappen could bide his time, assess 2026, and make his move in 2027 – just as Alonso's tenure winds down.
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