Juan Pablo Montoya says Max Verstappen is already treating Kimi Antonelli like he’s his teammate for 2026

The future is exciting for the Silver Arrows, as Mercedes have been tipped to have the fastest engine in 2026 under the new technical regulations. They want to return to the top of F1, having dominated the turbo hybrid era, and recruiting Verstappen would make them a force to be reckoned with.

There has been much debate as to whether, or when, Verstappen will make the switch from Red Bull to Mercedes. Juan Pablo Montoya thinks the Dutchman is already treating one driver like he is his teammate for 2026.

Juan Pablo Montoya thinks Max Verstappen is already treating Kimi Antonelli like he’s his teammate for 2026

The four-time champion has had numerous incidents with Mercedes drivers in the past. Verstappen drove into Russell in Barcelona after he was told to hand the position back for overtaking the Brit off the track.

In Austria, Antonelli crashed into Verstappen at turn four and took him out of Red Bull’s home race. The Italian took full responsibility for the accident as the Dutchman had a relaxed approach to the rookie, knowing that he had made a mistake.

Speaking via AS Colombia, Montoya saw this as a sign that the pair will be teammates at Mercedes in 2026: “I look at it differently; that he’s treating him like his partner for next year. I think it has a lot to do with that.

“And really what Max said is very true, that he made a mistake and we’ve all done it, we’ve all screwed up like that.

“We’ve all done that. It’s not the first and the last time he’s screwed up. So that can happen, it’s not the end of the world. The reaction was too much for me.

“One thing is cool, the other thing is that it’s like he had more conversation than usual in my opinion.”

READ MORE: Juan Pablo Montoya explains the warning he would give Mercedes if Max Verstappen leaves Red Bull

Toto Wolff may have another plan in mind as he already has his preferred teammate for Max Verstappen

While the 18-year-old is proving his worth in F1 in his rookie season, concerns have been raised about the prospect of Verstappen being his teammate in 2026. Helmut Marko says Verstappen would ruin Antonelli’s career, given that he has beaten all of his teammates since 2018.

It seems that Mercedes may have another plan in mind if they pull off a move for the Dutchman. Wolff would prefer Russell to be Verstappen’s teammate, with the Brit flourishing as the Silver Arrows’ team leader in 2025.

Russell knows Wolff will keep him, rather than Antonelli, if he signs Verstappen. It would leave the Italian out of the team and looking for a new seat, with multiple options already rumoured.

Mercedes could send Antonelli to Alpine, with the Enstone outfit becoming their customer team from 2026. The team are weighing up their options for next season, with Franco Colapinto facing pressure to keep his seat.