If Max Verstappen wants to join a winning Formula 1 team, they'll have him by the balls

The future of the four-time Champion has been the talk of the F1 town since last season when he struggled to and ultimately failed to defend his Title against Lando Norris.

With his negative comments regarding the 2026 F1 car, Verstappen's future has come into focus again with speculation about whether he would leave the sport if he stops enjoying the racing.

However, considering the performance aspect when looking into Verstappen's future, former F1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya claims making a move away from Red Bull Racing may not be a straightforward decision.

If Red Bull does not deliver a winning car and Verstappen wants to move to a winning McLaren or Mercedes team, he may need to make some compromises.

Montoya explained: "The question is how badly Max Verstappen would like to win? If you have the fastest car and Max wants to come, then it's a different price than if you want Max to come.

"If you're a third-place team and you want to bring Max over, you need to pay whatever Max wants. But if you're winning every race and Max wants to race for you, then it is a different number.

"Well, Max loves a challenge, doesn't he? But at that point, will you race for money or will you race for glory? For Max, is it about the glory? That's the million-dollar question. I'd say the glory because he's made enough money.

"But he'll try to get the money," the Colombian claimed. "The problem is, let's say McLaren, and they're winning every weekend with both drivers, or Mercedes; they're winning both.

"Do they really need to spend extra money on Max when they're winning everything? Do you want Max? Maybe you want Max, but if you want Max and you're winning, then you, in a way, you have Max by the balls.

"Max might come and say, 'I want £70m,' and the team he wants to join can say, 'We'll give you £20m,'" Montoya reckoned in conclusion.