Formula 1: Juan Pablo Montoya points to Max Verstappen’s political motives

Montoya’s charge

Juan Pablo Montoya has picked apart Max Verstappen’s recent comments. The former Colombian driver questions the triple world champion’s sincerity. Verstappen has blasted the new 2026 rules for Formula 1. Montoya smells a purely political play behind those repeated attacks. The paddock is split over how big a deal the cars’ electric systems should be. Deeper hybridisation is changing what driving actually demands.

Tension over electric power

Battery storage limits are now shaping race strategy. Qualifying used to reward flat-out attack and last-ditch braking. Today the set-up favours consistency and squeezing every joule out of energy recovery. Verstappen reacted sharply against that shift. After his retirement at the Chinese GP he compared the whole thing to Mario Kart — a comment made while he was sitting sixth and nowhere near the lead. Several team bosses link that blow-up to the Austrian outfit’s current struggles. Toto Wolff and Jonathan Wheatley have voiced the same view. Red Bull now builds its own engine and fears a shortfall in performance.

Criticism as a tactical weapon

Verstappen says he’s only worried about the sport’s appeal. Montoya waves that off. The seven-time Grand Prix winner reckons a run of victories would shut Verstappen up overnight. He compares managing electric systems to using DRS or IndyCar’s push-to-pass — all tweaks aimed at livening the show. He laments how little attention people pay to how these tools actually work. The one-time Williams and McLaren racer reminds everyone of an old paddock rule: teams lob criticism to rattle rivals when they feel beaten. Montoya even urges the authorities to clamp down harder on public shots meant to trash the championship.

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