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Montoya advises Aston Martin: 'Why not go after Verstappen?'
- Ludo van Denderen
Juan Pablo Montoya believes Aston Martin should now go after signing Max Verstappen to their team. During his time in F1, the Colombian has previously worked with Adrian Newey, who will join the team in 2025, and Honda will also become the British team's engine supplier beyond 2026. Therefore, Montoya would complete their puzzle with adding the driver who previously achieved great success with the designer and the Japanese brand.
Montoya, who has previously driven a car designed by Newey at McLaren, does not expect that Aston Martin will get to the grid overnight. The Colombian believes the Brit top designer will have a major impact instead on their 2026 car. "I think in the medium term, the prospects for Aston Martin are good. They're going to be in an amazing place," the former F1 driver declared.
'Verstappen can make a lot of money at Aston Martin'
There is still one area where Aston Martin still need to improve, the seven-time Grand Prix winner thinks. "To get the right driver, a driver to get the job done. Fernando is amazing. How long can he go on? I don't think Lance is going anywhere. Fernando is not a long term option. When do they make that decision and go, ‘Hey, we’ve got the Honda, we’ve got Newey. Why not go after Max? That would involve offering Max the same kind of deal that Newey got but a better one to do."
According to Montoya, Verstappen would be the final piece of the puzzle. "Then you have one of the best drivers in the world, if not the best, the current best driver in the championship and the better he does, the more money he's going to make long term. Because the company is going to be worth even more."
This article was written in collaboration with Kada Sarkozi
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