Juan Pablo Montoya wants Max Verstappen penalised for his public criticism of the 2026 rules.
Clearly the Colombian wasn’t exaggerating when he claimed his head had been broken after colliding with a TV cameraman all those years ago, for not only has he called on the powers that be to add penalty points to Verstappen’s superlicence but has described the Dutchman ‘save’ following his first lap spin in Miami as “lucky”.
While Verstappen has been most vocal in criticising the 226 regulations, he is not alone, and even after Sunday’s race several drivers, including the McLaren pair, remained unhappy.
However, it is the Dutchman that Montoya clearly has an issue with.
“You’ve got to respect the sport,” he told the BBC’s Chequered Flag podcast. “For me, what the drivers are doing, I’m okay with you not liking the regulations, but the way you were speaking about what you’re living off and your own sport, there should be consequences for that,” he added, almost echoing Stefano Domenicali’s previous comments.
Asked what those consequences should be, the former Williams and McLaren drivers was in no doubt: “Park him” he replied. “Add seven points to the licence, eight points to the licence. Whatever you do after, you’re going to be parked. I guarantee you all the messaging would be different.
“I’m not saying; ‘don’t say that you don’t like the regulations’, because if you don’t like it, you have the complete right to an opinion,” he continued. “It’s okay to be outspoken,” added the 1999 CART Champion and two-time Indy 500 winner. “I’m not saying don’t be outspoken, but don’t come and call an F1 car a Mario Kart.”
Montoya then suggested that Verstappen’s criticism might not only reflect his own feelings about the regulations but those of his team.
“There are two things there,” he said. “One, what he really feels, and two, is what the team is probably asking him to say,” he added. “The politics of the sport are really important, and the message the drivers come across and ask for, a lot of them are guided. They tell you we really need to push for this because this is going to really help us.”
After four seasons with Williams, during which time he twice finished third in the championship, Montoya moved to McLaren where he enjoyed a fractious relationship with Ron Dennis and Martin Whitmarsh, eventually walking away from F1 after the tenth round of his second season and headed to NASCAR.
Reflecting on Verstapepn’s 360 spectacular spin on the opening lap, which saw the Dutchman manage to avoid being hit by the chasing pack and only drop a couple of positions, Montoya, possibly still traumatised by that time he allegedly walked in on a teammate reenacting a line from a Lou Reed song, was unimpressed.
“Yeah, he’s got such a skill set at spinning cars and get it going again at the right point,” he sneered.
“You say that’s talent?” he asked podcast host Jolyon Palmer. When the Briton confirmed that he did, the Colombian said: “I thought it was pure luck.”