Max Verstappen to McLaren? F1 legend claims papaya team 'reached out' to Red Bull star

Max Verstappen, Lando Norris, Red Bull, McLaren, Bahrain, 2025 — Photo: © IMAGO

F1 News & Gossip

Max Verstappen to McLaren? F1 legend claims papaya team 'reached out' to Red Bull star

Max Verstappen has been rumoured to be looking for a way out of Red Bull

Originally written by Sam Cook. This version is a translation.

Sunday 20 April 2025 02:00

Ex-F1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya has claimed that McLaren reached out to Max Verstappen before they signed Oscar Piastri to the team.

McLaren have started their 2025 title campaign in spectacular fashion, with Piastri claiming two grand prix victories and Lando Norris winning the season opener in Melbourne.

Verstappen, on the other hand, could only finish sixth at the Bahrain Grand Prix last weekend, and is reportedly becoming increasingly frustrated by Red Bull's decline in performance, with Helmut Marko recently stating that his future was of 'great concern' to Red Bull.

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The Dutchman is contracted until the end of the 2028 season with Red Bull, but Marko has previously revealed that there are certain exit clauses within his contract.

Now, seven-time grand prix winner Juan Pablo Montoya, who also used to drive with McLaren, has suggested that Verstappen's Red Bull career is coming to an end.

"It’s the beginning of the end of Max Verstappen at Red Bull," Montoya told Plejmo. "For sure it is. But in a way, Max has been pretty blessed with being in the best car.

Where would Verstappen move to if he left Red Bull?

So far, it has appeared that there are only two options for Verstappen, if he were to leave Red Bull ahead of 2026, with both of Mercedes' drivers currently out of contract at the end of the season, and Aston Martin rumoured to be looking for a star to bolster their championship ambitions.

However, Aston Martin have been adamant that Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll are tied down to contracts until the end of 2026, while Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has openly pursued Verstappen in the past.

Now, Montoya has suggested that his old McLaren team also attempted to sign Verstappen, alleging that an 'insane' amount of money was thrust his way, before the team opted to sign Piastri on a new long-term deal.

"I think the negotiation a year ago before he re-signed with Red Bull when Toto was very outspoken about signing Max, was very different to what it would be now," Montoya continued.

"The number was an insane number. McLaren also reached out to Max to see how much it was before they re-signed Piastri, and the number was insane. So, at some point Max needs to make a decision, 'Do I want to try to be in the best car, do I want to make a ton of money?'"

Red Bull Max Verstappen McLaren Lando Norris Oscar Piastri Helmut Marko