Juan Pablo Montoya suggests Max Verstappen’s rivals lack resistance, questioning if fear explains their inability to challenge him effectively.
Max Verstappen delivered an incredible performance in Brazil, climbing from 17th to first place. However, what also caught the attention of former F1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya was that no one seemed willing to resist him.
Even Esteban Ocon, according to the Colombian, didn’t put up a fight despite the stakes of a potential victory.
Verstappen was running second when the race was halted by a red flag following Franco Colapinto’s crash under the safety car.
The timing worked perfectly for Verstappen, allowing him to switch to a fresh set of intermediate tires without a pit stop, just like the Alpine drivers. The field lined up for the restart with Ocon leading ahead of Verstappen and Pierre Gasly.
But it didn’t take long for Verstappen to overtake Ocon and claim victory with a margin of nearly 20 seconds.
While acknowledging Verstappen’s remarkable race, Montoya was unimpressed with how easily his rivals gave way. It reminded him of Michael Schumacher, whose dominance on track often saw competitors simply stepping aside.
“It’s a bit like Michael when he came through the field. When that happened, people just got out of his way.”
“Look, Max had an amazing race, but no one ever challenges him. No one fights him. Ocon handed him the lead, fell behind, and that was it.”
“But if it’s someone else threatening, they fight tooth and nail. It’s incredible how differently people race depending on who’s behind them.”
“Only Charles and Lewis seem capable of resisting him.”
This season, Lando Norris has been the only driver to consistently take Verstappen on in wheel-to-wheel battles, with highlights in Austria, Austin, and Mexico.
“Lando might be the only one who tries, but with the constructors’ championship at stake, he’s not as aggressive as Max on track, ready to risk everything. He wants to race cleanly, which is understandable, but it also gives him an image that might not serve him well in the future.”
“If he finds himself in a title fight with Max in 2025, he’ll need to give nothing away and prove he’s ready to risk it all too.”
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Montoya Questions Rivals: Are Drivers Afraid of Verstappen? Montoya Questions Rivals: Are Drivers Afraid of Verstappen?
