Verstappen Red Bull crisis far from over as F1 legend issues $50m Mercedes claim

Max Verstappen may have lost leverage in his contract negotiations due to Red Bull’s poor performance, according to F1 legend Juan Pablo Montoya.

The four-time world champion entered talks with Mercedes following Red Bull’s downturn in performance during the first half of the 2025 season, but eventually opted to remain with his team for the foreseeable future.

However, former F1 driver Montoya believes Red Bull’s poor performance is costing Verstappen at the negotiating table, and that Mercedes are likely to have offered a lower salary than the Dutchman perhaps expected.

"I don't think Max [Verstappen] had a choice. If I was negotiating with Max last year when he was winning the world championship, let's say, it would have cost $100m," he hypothesised to CoinPoker.

"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.

"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 miserable year at Red Bull

Following four back-to-back world titles with Red Bull, Verstappen may have to bid farewell to the chance of a fifth during the second half of the 2025 season.

While McLaren’s form has been imperious in 2025, Red Bull have struggled to be regular podium contenders and at the last race in Hungary, Verstappen finished a miserable ninth place.

Red Bull have recently undergone major structural changes, following the ousting of their team principal of 20 years Christian Horner, who has been replaced with Laurent Mekies.

Verstappen himself has admitted that restructuring has to take place at Red Bull for the team to become competitive again; but they are at risk of losing their star driver if this process lengthens.

The Dutchman is nearly 100 points behind championship leader Oscar Piastri in the drivers’ standings, and if this season replicates itself next year, Verstappen may tire of Red Bull entirely.

However, should the 27-year-old feel a better opportunity awaits him outside of the Milton Keynes-based squad, he would hardly find it tricky to secure a seat with one of Red Bull's rivals given the four titles he has already earned.

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