- Montoya slams Max Verstappen and Lando Norris for regulation “disrespect.”
- The former driver suggests fines or exits for stars mocking modern Formula 1.
- Verstappen & Norris remain vocal about safety concerns & “Mario Kart” racing.
Juan Pablo Montoya, a former driver for Williams and McLaren in the 2000s, has called out Max Verstappen and Lando Norris for their comments on the new F1 regs. He considered their views disrespectful towards the sport, and suggested they either quit the sport or be fined.
In his own F1 career, Montoya had seven Grand Prix wins, the first coming in Italy in 2001 with Williams. His final season was with McLaren, who did not intend to retain him, given his strained relationship with both Ron Dennis and Martin Whitmarsh.
Montoya’s F1 run came to an end during the US Grand Prix following an incident involving him, Kimi Raikkonen, and Jenson Button. A few years later, he was offered a return to the sport with Toro Rosso, but rejected it in favour of a NASCAR contract.
Montoya wants F1 to show the exit door to Verstappen and Norris
In conversation with AS Colombia, Montoya stated there should be penalties for drivers who bring the sport into disrepute, referring to comments comparing the modern-day F1 to Mario Kart.
He specifically mentioned the two world champions, Norris and Verstappen, who have been vocal in their criticism of the new regs, raising safety concerns, an increased reliance on electrical components, and the veering away from its raison d’etre.
“At some point, Formula 1 needs to do what the sports world in the United States does: for people who don’t respect the sport, there’s the door. They can leave or get a fine, so they truly learn to respect what they’re doing. That’s what I would do,” Montoya said.
While acknowledging that having an opinion is normal, he believes mocking the sport crossed the line.
“I’m not saying they have to like it, but mocking Formula 1 and comparing it to Mario Kart shouldn’t be accepted,” he added.
Verstappen is frustrated with the new regs
Since pre-season testing, the Dutchman has been critical of the new regulations, describing them as “Formula E on steroids”.
He has also complained about how the cars are becoming overly reliant on electric power management, compared to older cars that allowed the drivers to go flat out.
He has made clear he is not enjoying driving these new cars and feels the regs do nothing to support the “longevity” of his career. Charles Leclerc also joined the criticism of F1 and its similarity to Mario Kart, even joking he swaps his simulator for a Nintendo Switch to prep for races.
would feel the same even if he were winning
After retiring from the Chinese GP, Verstappen continued to criticise the regulations, calling them “fundamentally flawed”. He insisted he would feel the same even if he were winning.
The Dutchman said the sport, in its current form, feels like a “joke” to him. He suggested that if rules are made purely for commercial appeal and fan engagement, it may damage the essence of motor racing. As he put it, “It will come and bite them back in the ass.”
Norris raised safety concerns and talked about unlearning old F1
The reigning world champion has also supported Fernando Alonso’s take on the new regulations, highlighting how they now limit a driver’s ability to take risks through corners in favour of focusing on battery management.
“You’re driving the power unit, you’re not driving the car to the same limit. It’s not like, ‘go and drive the car the quickest way possible.’ That’s not how it works,” he said.
He also noted that the sport now demands a completely different approach to driving, requiring drivers to re-learn all they have learned in their formative F1 years. He believes the driver’s role hasn’t diminished but has drastically changed.
During the Australian Grand Prix, he raised safety concerns for both drivers and fans, describing the current racing as “chaos”, which could potentially lead to serious accidents.
“This is a shame because we are driving, and the ones just waiting for something to happen and to go quite horribly wrong, and that is not a nice position to be in.”
He also added that collisions could send cars flying into barriers, causing damage to other drivers, fans and those around them.
