Juan Pablo Montoya believes that Max Verstappen’s decision to stay at Red Bull could have been due to a disparity in the financial package Toto Wolff was willing to offer him versus what he desired. The reigning world champion turned down a move to Mercedes, keeping faith in his current employers despite a difficult season. Verstappen’s stay with Red Bull thus far has been nothing short of iconic, and the Dutchman is a four-time world champion at the age of 27.
However, his most recent crown came after a tense fight with Lando Norris in which the RB20 was out-developed by McLaren. Now, in 2025, the gap between the two teams is huge, and Verstappen’s run of World Championship triumphs is set to come to an end with Oscar Piastri 97 points ahead of him at the top of the standings. With no signs of a Red Bull recovery on the horizon, the Dutchman was heavily linked with a move to Mercedes.
Ultimately, though, he opted to honour his existing contract, which runs until the end of the 2028 season, pledging his allegiance to Red Bull for at least the 2026 campaign. Wolff, meanwhile, is set to renew the deals of incumbent drivers Kimi Antonelli and George Russell.
“I don’t think Max had a choice,” Montoya told CoinPoker. “If I was negotiating with Max last year when he was winning the world championship, let’s say, it would have cost $100m. This year he’s in a struggling car. The number could be $50m.
“Maybe that was the reason he stayed. Maybe Max thought he was going to get $100m, and whoever was speaking to him would have the upper hand, knowing that Max would want them more than they want Max.
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“Last year, the number had to be like over the moon to get Max. I think this year, if you’re negotiating for Max, you can negotiate. Tell him, if you want to be here, this is the number. Toto [Wolff] could offer Max half what he would have needed to last year.”
Verstappen’s decision to stay with Red Bull comes with some advantages, even if Laurent Mekies’ squad look destined to finish the campaign fourth in the Constructors’ Championship standings, behind McLaren, Ferrari and Mercedes.
Most notably, staying in Milton Keynes for another year will give the 27-year-old an opportunity to survey the landscape in the first season of the new technical regulations. As a four-time world champion, Verstappen is a must-have for all 10 other teams next year, so the door will be open for him to take his pick, should Red Bull fail to deliver with their 2026 challenger.
