If Max Walks, Who Takes the Throne? Montoya Points to an unusual driver as Red Bull’s Plan B – As Formula 1 plunges deeper into its summer rumour soup, the question on everyone’s mind is simple enough to fit on a paddock pass: What will Max do? Four-time world champion Max Verstappen continues to dangle the Sword of Damocles over Red Bull Racing’s future, and nobody, not even the energy drink’s boardroom sages, seems to have a clue which way it might fall.

With tension bubbling behind the scenes and Mercedes seemingly serenading Verstappen with Brackley ballads, the anticipation around his 2026 decision is at fever pitch. And according to Juan Pablo Montoya – never one to shy away from a spicy prediction – Red Bull already has a contingency plan brewing should their golden boy take flight.

 

Montoya’s Hunch: Sainz to Red Bull

Speaking on his aptly named podcast MontoyAS, the Colombian firebrand speculated that Red Bull’s plan B is none other than Carlos Sainz. Carlos Sainz – the one currently occupying the most enviable spot in F1’s job market as the fastest temp on the planet, and arguably the paddock’s most eligible bachelor since Fernando Alonso first learned the word “clause.”

“If Max leaves and Mercedes won’t let go of George [Russell], Red Bull will probably sign Carlos Sainz,” said Montoya, offering his view with the confident shrug of a man who has had more than a few paddock coffees.

Sainz has been in and out of more driver speculation articles than Daniel Ricciardo has marketing obligations. But this one might actually hold water. Red Bull knows it cannot afford to slot a junior into Max’s vacated throne. A proven race winner is the minimum requirement and Sainz, fresh off his Ferrari divorce and with a chip on each shoulder, might just be the spicy tonic they need.

 

Antonelli, the Williams Detour

As for what this means for Mercedes and their junior protégé Kimi Antonelli, Montoya painted a fairly clear picture – albeit one that might not thrill the Italian teenager. If Verstappen joins Mercedes and Russell stays put, then young Kimi, bless his highly touted talent, may have to bide his time at Williams.

“Then they would put Kimi in the Williams,” Montoya quipped, implying that Mercedes would attempt to have their cake and groom it too.

It is a move that reeks of 1990s-style long-term planning, which seems wildly out of place in a sport that now changes its regulations frequently. Still, giving Antonelli a year or two to simmer in a less-pressured seat while the Silver Arrows recalibrate with Verstappen could be a strategic masterstroke.

Cadillac Snubbed

 

The Carlos Conundrum

Montoya’s theory, of course, does not come out of nowhere. Red Bull had already sniffed around Carlos Sainz not so long ago, especially during the unseemly collapse of confidence in Sergio Pérez. Yet, strangely, that marriage never materialised.

Why? According to Montoya, Max himself played matchmaker, or rather, un-matchmaker.

“Max didn’t want Carlos as a teammate,” the Colombian claimed, citing last year’s internal Red Bull scuffles. And while that little nugget of gossip raises all sorts of fascinating questions about Verstappen’s veto power, the broader implication is clear – Carlos Sainz was previously Plan A, but Max quietly burned the contract behind the fridge.

That, however, was back when Verstappen ruled the Red Bull kingdom like a benevolent despot. Should he move to Mercedes, Montoya points out, the Dutchman’s say in team personnel could vanish faster than a Red Bull press release.

“I don’t think Max has the option to say who he wants as his Mercedes teammate,” he said. In other words, welcome to Toto’s House, where the driver picks the steering wheel, not the team mate.

Ferrari: Hamilton BIG upgrade

 

A Game of Thrones in Racing Boots

The Verstappen-Mercedes saga is quickly becoming the kind of epic tale HBO might be tempted to greenlight.

Here’s a team recovering from Hamilton heartbreak, a young gun in Russell holding down the fort, a phenom in Antonelli waiting for his shot and the sport’s most dominant driver sniffing around their front door.

At the centre of it all is a simple if seismic decision: Does Max stay with the devil he knows, or jump ship to try and rewrite the Schumacher script at Mercedes?

Montoya, for all his flamboyance, admits he does not have a crystal ball. “Ultimately,” he concedes, “it’s just a guess.”

But it’s a guess many insiders are starting to echo. Red Bull, if not already preparing the welcome brochure, is likely sharpening the pencils for Sainz’s contract. And Carlos, for his part, must be wondering whether his patience and strategic sabbatical will finally pay off with a seat in a car that actually wants to win things again.

 

Is Red Bull Ready to Let Go?

The question nobody really dares to answer is whether Red Bull are psychologically prepared to lose Verstappen. After all, he is not just their star driver – he is the brand, the beating heart of their last era of dominance and the man who made the phrase “hold my Red Bull” relevant again.

Yet rumblings out of Austria suggest the team might not go to war to stop him. Perhaps, just perhaps, they’re growing tired of being held hostage by one man’s whims. Perhaps they believe they can win without him. Perhaps Carlos Sainz represents a return to team-first principles.

Or perhaps they are simply clinging to the hope that Max stays long enough for the RB21 to start behaving again.

So, dear jury, what do you think? Is Montoya onto something with his Carlos Sainz prophecy, or is this just another chapter in the silly season scrolls? Would Red Bull rebound with Sainz at the helm, or would that be like replacing a flamethrower with a Bunsen burner?

And if Max really does jump ship, is Mercedes the promised land, or just a polished trap?

Let us know in the comments below – your verdict awaits.

This is The Judge, signing off from the court of public F1 opinion.

Aston Martin offer an update on 2026 progress

 

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While the garage setup in Spa-Francorchamps will go on without the familiar face of Christian Edward Johnston Horner issuing radio commands and performing pre-race damage control, the concern within Red Bull headquarters runs deeper than strategy meetings or weekend performance metrics. The real anxiety, according to reports surfacing from the Italian outpost of Motorsport.com, is about people. Namely, how many of them might pack up their lanyards and follow Horner out of Milton Keynes’ factory gates….READ MORE ON THIS STORY