Red Bull warned of Williams-like decline if Max Verstappen leaves in 2026

F1 legend Juan Pablo Montoya has warned Red Bull that they could face a Williams-like decline in 2026, particularly if they lose Max Verstappen.

F1’s new technical regulations come into play for 2026 with entirely new engine rules.

It’s also a new era for Red Bull, which will build their own power unit for the first time through Red Bull Powertrains.

The early indications are that Mercedes could be ahead of their rivals in terms of engine development like they were in 2014.

However, all speculation is unsubstantiated until all 11 teams hit the track next year for pre-season testing.

While making their own power unit for the first time is a huge challenge, Red Bull hopes next year could be even more challenging should they lose their star driver.

Montoya has warned Red Bull of a major decline next year.

“They have an engine power unit for next year that nobody knows how good it is at this point,” Montoya told Instant Casino. “Red Bull next year could be running where Williams is running.”

Verstappen’s F1 future has continued to be a hot topic following Helmut Marko’s comments after Bahrain.

Marko admitted that he “feared” losing Verstappen due to Red Bull’s poor on-track performance.

Speculation surrounding Verstappen’s Red Bull future has died down since then following his return to race-winning contention in Saudi Arabia.

Montoya weighs in on Verstappen’s future

Mercedes were heavily linked with Verstappen as they looked for a Lewis Hamilton replacement.

The rumours aren't going away, with George Russell and Kimi Antonelli out of contract at the end of 2025.

However, Toto Wolff has insisted he’s happy with his current drivers and wants to remain loyal to them, given that both came through the Mercedes junior programme.

Assessing Verstappen’s chances of moving to Mercedes, Montoya added: “The hard thing is, McLaren just re-signed Piastri. Would Toto get rid of Antonelli to accommodate Max? Or would you get rid of George? I don’t know how clear the option is there.

“Basically, if Max went to Mercedes, whoever left Mercedes would go to Red Bull, in my opinion.

“If you had to make a decision tomorrow, would you get rid of George? George has been a Mercedes guy for a long time. It’s not like the only eyes were for Antonelli.

“And Antonelli’s done a very good job being a rookie. So the question is, do you want to pair George with Max? Do you want to pair Max with Antonelli? Or you decide to stay where you are and don’t take Max? That could happen.

“I know Toto was desperate to have Max last year. Is he still desperate this year to have Max? I’m not so sure.”