[Saba Sports News] This season, Max Verstappen has been competing in GT3 endurance races behind the wheel of a Mercedes-AMG car. Racing under his own outfit, Verstappen Team, he drives the GT3 EVO and has taken part in events including the qualifying session of the Nürburgring 24 Hours held in April. All of these outings are aimed at fine-tuning his form ahead of the upcoming main Nürburgring 24 Hours race.
Former Formula 1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya believes Red Bull and Ford should step in and stop Verstappen from racing a Mercedes GT3 car. Montoya stated that such an arrangement is tantamount to indirectly promoting a direct Formula 1 rival. He argued that as Red Bull’s flagship driver, it is inappropriate for Verstappen to endorse a competitor brand like Mercedes.
Montoya pointed out that if he were a senior executive at Ford, he would never accept Verstappen appearing at the Nürburgring to boost Mercedes’ influence. He would definitely put pressure on Verstappen and order him to switch machinery, opting for a Ford GT3 or similar car instead of aligning himself with Mercedes.
It is worth noting that starting from 2026, although Red Bull will use power units jointly developed by Red Bull Powertrains and Ford, Red Bull remains the main operating entity of the team. Verstappen’s contract is with Red Bull Racing, not Ford. Therefore, Montoya’s suggestion that Ford should pressure Verstappen is an overstep of authority and unreasonable.