- Max Verstappen faces calls to quit GT3 racing after fatal Nürburgring crash.
- Juha Miettinen, 66, died after a seven-car pile-up triggered by an oil spill.
- Montoya says Red Bull’s fear of losing Verstappen is keeping him on track.
Former Formula 1 race winner Juan Pablo Montoya has called on Red Bull to ban Max Verstappen from racing outside of F1.
His comments came after the death of Finnish privateer Juha Miettinen at the Nürburgring on 18 April 2026.
Miettinen, 66, was killed during the NLS4 race when his car spun on an oil spill and struck a stationary vehicle side-on. Verstappen was competing in the same race.
Montoya, speaking on his MontoyAS podcast, said Red Bull should have already stepped in. “200 per cent,” he said, when asked if the team should impose an outright ban on Verstappen racing in GT3 machinery.
“There could be an accident, he could break his leg or arm.”
The tragedy that changed the conversation
The accident happened roughly 25 minutes into the NLS4 race, near the Klosterthal curve.
An oil spill on the approach to the corner triggered a seven-car pile-up. Miettinen’s BMW 325i hit the rear of a stationary car at a 90-degree angle, striking the driver’s side first.
Miettinen had raced at the Nürburgring for many years and had won several class victories there. Medical teams could not save him. It was the circuit’s first race fatality since Wolf Silvester died in June 2013.
Verstappen paid tribute on social media after the crash. “Shocked by what happened today,” he wrote. “Motorsport is something we all love, but in times like this, it is a reminder of how dangerous it can be.”
Montoya’s emphatic call for a ban
The Colombian former F1 race winner did not mince words when addressing whether Red Bull should reconsider allowing Max Verstappen to race in GT3 machinery at events like the Nürburgring.
“I have a question about this,” Montoya said. “I know that what happened is terrible. Do you think Red Bull would reconsider what permission they give Max to race those cars? No, because they are afraid of losing him.”
Montoya framed his argument around money as much as safety.
“The money that Red Bull has invested in him should be enough reason to say, ‘Look, we gave you the chance, but with this accident we are reconsidering it,'” he said on the podcast.
He then explained what he would do if he ran the team.
“Personally, I would have called Max and said, ‘Sir, please, don’t get in the car anymore,'” Montoya said. “It’s something I think they really need to reconsider.”
Montoya also drew on his own F1 career, which ended 20 years ago. He said teams repeatedly refused to let him drive rally cars or take part in other motorsport events outside F1.
“You are investing in the driver, a big investment,” he said. “Then you have to protect him.”
The wider question: passion versus prudence
The Nürburgring Nordschleife stretches roughly 25 kilometres and has more than 150 corners.
The circuit’s narrow sections and steep elevation changes leave very little margin for error. Formula 1 dropped the venue from its calendar in 1976 on safety grounds.
GT3 endurance racing adds another layer of risk. Fast prototype machinery shares the track with much slower production-based cars, and the speed gaps between them create dangerous situations.
The T-bone impact that killed Miettinen is among the most serious types of collision in circuit racing. Verstappen, however, has shown little desire to slow down.
After his team’s disqualification in March, he declared, “The Nordschleife is one of the craziest tracks in the world. I definitely want to race here as often as possible.”
With F1 on a break in April, he added both the NLS4 and NLS5 races to his schedule.
Montoya acknowledged that Red Bull faces a difficult calculation. Verstappen has already spoken openly about his frustration with F1 in 2026 and hinted at an early exit from the sport.
Pushing him too hard risks accelerating that decision. The team has so far chosen to accommodate his wishes rather than confront them.
Verstappen is still scheduled to race in the Nürburgring 24 Hours on 16-17 May. Montoya’s words have made one thing clear: if Red Bull continues to stay silent, that silence will itself become the story.
