Red Bull Racing driver, Max Verstappen, Photo: Race Pictures.

Montoya sets specific timeline for Verstappen's move to Ferrari

10:03, 18 Sep

Updated: 10:24, 18 Sep

1 Comments

byTobia Elia

Juan Pablo Montoya believes Max Verstappen will eventually drive for Ferrari, but not in the near future.

Max Verstappen after Monza win - Photo: Red Bull Content Pool

“I think Max will drive the red car but probably five or six years down the line”

- Juan Pablo Montoya

Speaking to a betting site, the former F1 driver said: “I think Max will drive the red car but probably five or six years down the line. I think at some stage he'll have a chance, but not yet. I think he'll probably move.

“I'll be surprised if he doesn't move. Unless of course Red Bull does an amazing job.“I think Max has matured and shown more maturity this year and we see a calmer Max. You don't hear the outbursts as much. I don't know if that’s because he's preparing psychologically to be somewhere else. Who knows?

Montoya believes a move to Mercedes could be a more plausible short-term destination than Ferrari, especially if the 2026 season turns out to be a sporting disappointment for Red Bull.

“The obvious next move that you'll see at some point will be to Mercedes. But then Ferrari. That's what I think. But if Red Bull starts next year and it's a disaster, Max might jump ship really early. You'll never know if it was the right decision for him because with the new rules and everybody figuring it out, you might see other teams making huge steps.

Finally, the Colombian said: “What's really cool about next year is that you're adding the Audi power unit, you have the Ford power unit. The Honda’s going to be in one car, the Audi's going to be in one car, the Ford is going to be in the two Red Bull cars, I would assume. It could be very competitive.”

Verstappen addresses potential Ferrari move

On the eve of the Monza weekend, the four-time world champion spoke about the possibility of one day driving for the Maranello team. Verstappen stated that it could happen—but only under one very specific condition.

"I think Ferrari is a massive brand, and of course all the drivers, they see and they picture themselves of, ‘I would like to drive for Ferrari,' but I think that's also where the mistake comes, just to drive for Ferrari," he told GPblog.

"If you want to drive for Ferrari, you want to win. So if I would ever want to go there, I don't go there just to drive for Ferrari, I go there because I see the opportunity to win. And if you win with Ferrari, that's even better.

"That's I think where you shouldn't let yourself get guided just because of the emotions and passion of a brand. You need to go there because you feel that is the right place to go."

See our latest F1 paddock update below!