Max Verstappen replacement named amid fresh rumours of Red Bull exit

Red Bull have been told exactly who they should pursue if Max Verstappen is to leave the team amid the latest rumours.

Ahead of the 2026 Formula One season rumours started circulating that four-time world champion Verstappen could end his 12-year stint with Red Bull and join a rival team.

The Dutchman was heavily linked with Mercedes, who were widely expected to be the strongest team throughout 2026.

However, despite reportedly having several conversations with Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff, Verstappen decided to remain at Red Bull for the start of the season.

But rumours of his exit continued to circulate, with Verstappen believed to be considering retirement due to his strong disliking towards the new regulations introduced in 2026.

After the first couple of races, these rumours started to die down, but it new reports have suggested that Mercedes may have returned to the table for Verstappen amid Red Bull's clear struggles this season.

Should Verstappen make the move to Mercedes, or indeed decide to retire, then it would leave Red Bull with a seemingly impossible task in replacing one of the best drivers ever to compete in F1.

But, according to former F1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya, there are two clear candidates that the Milton Keynes-based team should target should they face the reality of Verstappen's departure.

Speaking to Online Betting Site BetVictor, Montoya said: "Oscar Piastri could fill that Max Verstappen gap if he left Red Bull. Or maybe George Russell. There are so many scenarios.

"If you want a nice balance and good teammates, and you know, and everybody happy. And I think Mercedes has that right now. They have just got to make sure George can complete the delivery when he is in the position to do so.

"George should have won Barcelona if it wasn't for the strategy of Ferrari. The things that have bene going on for George this season, I feel bad for him."

Both Piastri and Russell were linked with Red Bull ahead of the 2026 season, with both men seen as potential replacements for Verstappen.

It was widely believed that, had Verstappen made the move to Mercedes, he would have done so at the expense of Russell rather than teammate and current championship leader Kimi Antonelli.

In that case, Russell would have to consider where best to go to next, with a straight swap to Red Bull likely his best option.

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Meanwhile Piastri was seen as a potential option amid reports he was frustrated with McLaren due to their treatment of him compared to teammate Lando Norris in 2025.

Will Max Verstappen stay at Red Bull this year?

Of course, it will be Red Bull's preference to hold on to Verstappen for the foreseeable future.

To do so, they need to ensure that Verstappen is able to compete at the very front with a release clause included in his Red Bull contract that would allow him to leave at the end of the season should be finish lower than second in the standings.

With upgrades set to come ahead of the Austrian Grand Prix this week, Red Bull may finally be able to help their star driver get his first win of the season, but Montoya isn't convinced.

He said: "Red Bull have upgrades coming and finally, they will have a car at the right weight. So that is going to be interesting. We know they have the best power unit. So those two things combined with Red Bull Ring is going to make it interesting because Red Bull Ring is long straights and braking.

"That said, I don’t think they are close enough for Max Verstappen to make a comeback.

"The problem is, you bring all those upgrades, and you get on par with everybody, then everybody else makes another step, and you're still behind."