Juan Pablo Montoya believes Red Bull and Ford should intervene to prevent Max Verstappen from racing Mercedes machinery in GT3 competition.
The seven-time grand prix winner argues the arrangement promotes a direct Formula 1 rival.
Verstappen has been competing in GT3 endurance racing this year with Mercedes-AMG, fielding a GT3 EVO under the Team Verstappen Racing banner at events including the Nürburgring 24 Hours qualifiers in April.
The outings were largely in preparation for the Nurburgring 24 Hours, which takes place next weekend.
Montoya has questioned the optics of Verstappen promoting Mercedes whilst racing for Red Bull in Formula 1, where the two manufacturers are fierce rivals and Ford serves as Red Bull's engine partner from this season onwards.
“If I were the big boss at Ford, I wouldn't like seeing Verstappen at the Nürburgring promoting Mercedes,” Montoya told Betpack.
“If I were Red Bull and Ford, I would put pressure on Max not to drive a Mercedes, but a Ford GT3 or something similar.
“I don’t think the big boss at Ford would like it if he were to race with Mercedes in the GT classes and thus promote the Silver Arrows.”
The situation is further complicated by Verstappen's long-standing links to Mercedes in Formula 1.
The Dutchman has repeatedly been connected with a potential move to the Silver Arrows, with rumours surfacing once again this year amid Mercedes' surge to the head of the pecking order.
Also interesting:
Join RacingNews365's Nick Golding and Samuel Coop as they look back on last weekend's Miami Grand Prix! The duo offer their thoughts on F1's rule changes in action and Max Verstappen remaining unhappy despite an exciting race.
Rather watch the podcast? Then click here!
Explore the latest F1 results and every stat you can imagine - From Max Verstappen to Michael Schumacher and from Ayrton Senna to Lewis Hamilton — explore every stat from the first Grand Prix to the latest race.
Explore the RN365 Stats HubMost read
In this article
Never miss a thing from the Formula 1 season! Add the 2026 F1 schedule to your calendar at the touch of a button. Subscribe below and put the dates and times of every race directly on your PC or smartphone, so you don't miss a second from the new season.
Download the F1 calendar Download the F1 calendar
A variant with just the race and qualifying is also available.
Click here to download it..
Join the conversation!