Red Bull face Max Verstappen dilemma as Lewis Hamilton downside may come up
Red Bull could face a dilemma regarding Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar if the Dutchman decides he wants to leave the team in a Lewis Hamilton-esque problem
Red Bull have been warned they could face a Max Verstappen problem in 2026(Image: NurPhoto, NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Red Bull could face an impossible decision regarding dropping Max Verstappen to a No.2 driver and prioritising Isack Hadjar.
After winning four consecutive World Championships, Verstappen’s dominance was ended by McLaren’s Lando Norris as the Dutchman miraculously recovered to finish second in the championship by just two points.
Verstappen’s form over the second half of the season, following Laurent Mekies’ appointment as Team Principal after Christian Horner’s sacking, moved to quiet rumours about a blockbuster switch to Mercedes, which dominated headlines as Red Bull struggled to compete at the top.
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While that speculation has gone quiet, given the early murmurs that Mercedes will be the team to beat in 2026, it wouldn’t take much for Verstappen’s name to be circulated again, something that could alter Red Bull’s hierarchy.
Speaking to BetBrothers, seven-time Grand Prix winner Juan Pablo Montoya said: “What will be interesting is to see how comfortable Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar are with the new Red Bull, and how far apart they are from each other.
“What has happened lately is that the Red Bull drivers have been really far apart, and the team tend to develop the car however Max wants it. If you have a different driving style and the team develops the car to Max’s style, it will get harder for you every week.
“We’ve seen with Checo Perez before, you can start as good or better than Max, but as he becomes more comfortable with the car, the gap behind him increases.
“If the car is not competitive, will Max for sure leave? If Red Bull think Max is going to leave, there could be a chance Red Bull start prioritising Hadjar, similar to what happened with George Russell and Lewis Hamilton when he left Mercedes. Are Red Bull willing to do that?”
Despite the speculation surrounding Verstappen leaving Red Bull in the future, Montoya questioned why the Dutchman would quit the team if he remains competitive in the car.
“Max Verstappen would not leave if Red Bull are competitive, why would he? He controls the team, he’s in a great position,” Montoya continued.
“Max has done a very good job to shut down rumours, telling everyone he’s happy where he is. But, we all know if the Red Bull isn’t competitive and the Mercedes dominates, he will try to go to Mercedes.”
Verstappen has also threatened to quit the sport completely after slamming the new regulations and cars as being too close to Formula E. But Montoya feels that all the time Verstappen is winning, he’s happy and will stay in the sport.
“I don’t think Max Verstappen will stay at Red Bull his whole career, but right now, Max is going through the same phase Lewis Hamilton went through about 10 years ago. Lewis said he wasn’t liking F1 anymore and he wanted to pursue a music career, 10 years later, he’s still racing,” the seven-time race winner said.
“Max likes F1 too much. When he tries racing elsewhere, he’ll realise he’s in a great position and Red Bull can be very flexible for him. Going to another team will take him out of his bubble, he’s comfortable where he is.
“He doesn’t need the money, he just wants to win the races. As we’ve seen with Lewis, there’s no guarantees moving teams brings success.”
