Max Verstappen warned Michael Schumacher-style sabbatical from F1 “would be stupid”

Juan Pablo Montoya believes talk of Max Verstappen taking a sabbatical from F1 would be “stupid”, warning he would risk an unsuccessful comeback.

Verstappen’s F1 future remains a hot topic amid Red Bull’s decline in form.

After six rounds in F1 2025, Verstappen sits third in the drivers’ standings, 32 points behind Oscar Piastri.

McLaren have won five of the six opening races, with Verstappen taking one victory at Suzuka.

Unless the flexi-wing clampdown significantly impacts McLaren’s performance, it’s unlikely Verstappen will take a fifth consecutive title this year.

Red Bull’s decline has sparked suggestions Verstappen could look to leave the team.

With the new rules coming into play in 2026, one idea is that Verstappen takes a sabbatical to assess which teams have nailed the new regulations before deciding who to sign for.

Montoya thinks taking a break from F1 would be a bad idea.

“All the news about drivers moving teams are rumours, so we don’t know anything for sure,” Montoya told Spin Genie.

“But, supposedly, Max Verstappen would have to be out of the top three of the Drivers Championship to activate a release clause in his contract. So if Verstappen continues the way he is, there’s no way out of the Red Bull. The only out he can have would be not to race next year and take a sabbatical.

“I think a sabbatical for Verstappen would be stupid. People will look at Verstappen in a different way when he comes back, a little bit like what happened to Michael Schumacher. Verstappen will come back to try and prove a point, he’ll be overly aggressive and it will spiral out of control.”

What will Verstappen do for 2026?

Verstappen’s current Red Bull contract runs out at the end of 2028.

However, it’s thought that there’s an exit clause in his contract which can be activated depending on where he is in the championship standings.

Verstappen’s options for 2026 aren’t entirely clear, however.

Mercedes expressed serious interest in signing Verstappen last year as they looked for a Lewis Hamilton replacement.

Verstappen was unwilling to leave Red Bull, which meant Kimi Antonelli got the call-up.

Honda will power Aston Martin from next year and have been linked with Verstappen over the past year.

Adrian Newey is spearheading their design team, another factor that could help them sign Verstappen.