Montoya: McLaren relationships will sour, Verstappen to win Las Vegas

Montoya said: “The dynamic at McLaren will change, whoever wins the championship. I think the relationship between the drivers and the team will go sour, because one will say you didn't do enough to help me win the championship. It will be hard to keep both Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris happy. How will they manage the Papaya rules next year?

"Those rules become irrelevant if McLaren don't have a competitive car next year. That's the million-dollar question still, who will have the dominant car next year? It could be Alpine, Aston Martin, Mercedes, we don't know. If Red Bull ends up being slower than most other cars, Max Verstappen probably won't even stay the whole year. He'll take a sabbatical."

Montoya believes Verstappen will strike back in Las Vegas, calling it a decisive moment in McLaren’s internal title battle. He said: “I predict Red Bull to win the Las Vegas Grand Prix. I think Max Verstappen will be really good. Lando Norris will finish on the podium, the big question is has Oscar Piastri given up?"

The former Grand Prix winner predicts: "I think if Norris beats Piastri in Las Vegas, Piastri will be done, mentally. Las Vegas is the last opportunity for Piastri to make a difference and beat Norris, which is perfect. It is a do-or-die race on a street circuit, long straights and big DRS zones. It is going to be an amazing race.”

Montoya says Mercedes expect Kimi Antonelli to challenge George Russell immediately in 2026, especially after the rookie’s standout weekend in Brazil. He said: “I think Mercedes want a battle between Kimi Antonelli and George Russell for top spot next season.

"Antonelli showed in Brazil what Toto Wolff has been telling us all year. Antonelli outperformed Russell all weekend, maybe not by much but whether you like it or not, he finished ahead of him. It will be interesting to see how Russell reacts to it, because it is the first time in a while that Russell has been beaten by a teammate.”

Looking to 2026, Montoya is firm in his belief that Fernando Alonso will be a title contender if Aston Martin and Adrian Newey find their footing with the 2026 rules. He said: “You can't write Fernando Alonso off for a championship challenge next year."

Montoya continued: "If Adrian Newey doesn't get it right with the Aston Martin next year, he will in 2027. Aston Martin will have a world champion in the next three years, I guarantee it. Honda won't sit still if they don't, every time Honda is involved in F1, they win. I'm not 100 per cent sure Aston Martin will be competitive next year, but if Newey finds that loophole in the rules, they will win everything.”

Montoya added that Alpine’s driver market options are limited, despite the inconsistency of their current line-up. He said: “The problem is there is no suitable replacement for Franco Colapinto right now. Does anyone want to go to Alpine?

"Colapinto has actually beaten Pierre Gasly a couple times recently. Gasly either doesn't perform that well or he does amazing, like he did in Brazil. When Gasly puts everything together, the gap in quality is massive," added the Colombian motorsport legend.

The Las Vegas Grand Prix takes place on the 21-23 November, Round 22 of the 2025 Formula 1 World Championship. Norris leads the standings by 24 points over Piastri in P2, and the gap to Verstappen in P3 is 49 points with three rounds remaining.