Racing
© Eterna
Juan Pablo Montoya has warned that any Max Verstappen move from Red Bull to McLaren would be far more complicated than it looks, arguing that McLaren is already built around Lando Norris and would not offer the same Verstappen-centered structure he has now.
Speaking on his MontoyAS podcast, Montoya said the key issue is not simply whether Verstappen is quick enough to succeed there. In his view, the bigger question is whether he could thrive inside a team environment shaped around another driver. “Right now, everyone can see that McLaren is completely built around Lando,” Montoya said. “How comfortable is that? You know what I mean? Max has the advantage that he's at Red Bull, and everything revolves around him.”
That is why Montoya believes one of the biggest assumptions around the rumors does not hold up. Speculation has linked Verstappen’s long-time race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase to the idea of a smoother switch, but Montoya said Lambiase’s expected arrival at McLaren in 2028 would not recreate their current working relationship. “First of all, Gianpiero is not going to be the race engineer; he's going to get a much higher senior role,” he said. “So no, that would not be his job. If Max goes that way, he'll have him there, but he'll be higher up in the hierarchy. Not directly one-on-one, you know?”
Montoya also pointed out that Lambiase would face his own adjustment inside a new organization. “For Gianpiero, the move is also a completely new world. New programmes, new mentalities. A totally different way of doing things. And Gianpiero still has to learn all of that too. That doesn't happen overnight, that's one thing.”
The comments come as speculation over Verstappen’s future continues to link him with McLaren, despite McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown trying to downplay the possibility and both Norris and Oscar Piastri being on long-term contracts.
Montoya did not dismiss Verstappen’s chances in a straight fight with Norris. He said Verstappen “probably has the pace to beat him,” but argued that would only be part of the challenge. “Once you leave there, you have to share,” Montoya said. “And he probably has the pace to beat him, but as they say here: Lando is no pushover. And the car is built around what Lando wants; he sets the direction of the car.”
For Montoya, that is the real risk in any potential move. If Verstappen joined a team whose car development already follows Norris’s direction, he could find himself without the influence he currently enjoys. “If Max goes that way, the car doesn't suit him and they don't make the changes he wants, what's going to happen?” Montoya said. “That's why I'm telling you: it really isn't that straightforward.”