Verstappen to be given "offer he can't refuse" to leave Red Bull?

21:00, 01 Apr

byEwan Gale

Former Formula 1 race winner Juan Pablo Montoya believes Max Verstappen will get an "offer he can't refuse" to leave Red Bull for Aston Martin.

Verstappen has raced under the Red Bull badge for the entirety of his F1 career, spending a season with the junior Toro Rosso [now Racing Bulls] team before moving up to the main team in 2016.

The Dutchman has won four drivers' titles with the Milton Keynes-based outfit and is contracted through to the end of the 2028 season but with internal turmoil in recent seasons leading to the departure of high-profile senior engineers and Red Bull dropping behind McLaren in the pecking order, speculation has increased over whether Verstappen could leave.

This is only added to by the potential for Red Bull to fall behind rival manufacturers when it is powered by its own power unit from next year's regulation changes.

Montoya: Verstappen "might give Red Bull a chance"

Two potential landing grounds for Verstappen are Mercedes and Aston Martin, with the former open about its conversations last year as it sought a replacement for now-Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton.

But Aston Martin will be powered by Honda from next year and has recruited former Red Bull technical guru Adrian Newey, which Montoya believes will be a huge sway for Verstappen.

“I think Max will get an offer he can’t refuse from Aston Martin,” Montoya told Vision4Sport.

“He might give Red Bull a chance for a year and a chance for Adrian to start figuring it out. Adrian can’t do that immediately. It's a new whole group and everyone needs to start working together.

“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,” he said.

“If I was Max, I would go to Aston. Mercedes would be cool too, but Aston would be the logical choice having Adrian and Honda. Everything he has won with is there.”