Montoya splits Verstappen's rivals into two camps

Montoya highlights Verstappen’s edge, splitting rivals into risk-takers and those intimidated by his fearless approach to collisions.

Juan Pablo Montoya is a big fan of Max Verstappen and his uncompromising approach to racing. The former F1 driver, known for his own aggressive style and later a standout in NASCAR, finds it entertaining to see how the four-time world champion refuses to make concessions.

“Verstappen drives them crazy,” Montoya told Vision4Sport. “First, he makes very few mistakes, if any. And second, he’s comfortable with the idea of a collision, and the team is fine with it if he does.”

This collision “blackmail,” as Montoya describes, works well, as seen in Qatar: “As soon as Max passed him, George didn’t try to go around the outside because he thought they’d collide. George said he believed they’d crash. So, in his mind, as soon as the lights went out, George gave up.”

Montoya is convinced Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso wouldn’t back down, unlike Russell, or drivers like Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc: “I think if it had been Lewis, he’d have been happy to risk a collision. That’s why Lewis is a seven-time world champion. Max has four, and nobody else has any. That’s what it takes.”

“And you know, if you’re up against Fernando to win a race, Fernando will go for the collision too. But if it’s George, he won’t. Lando won’t. [Oscar] Piastri might. Carlos might, but not Leclerc, who would then complain on the radio that his car is the most unfair on the planet, just like Lando. But that’s their nature.”

“At the same time, Charles and Lando are very similar: they have incredible ultimate speed, enough to win races when things align perfectly. They’re fast enough to get the job done. But they’re not the type to engage in wheel-to-wheel battles and come out on top.”