Ex-F1 driver and pundit Juan Pablo Montoya has spoken to Colombian media, berating current F1 drivers for speaking out about the negatives of the new regulations.
Max Verstappen, Lando Norris and Carlos Sainz are among the drivers who have raised grievances with the 2026 regulations and have taken Montoya’s backlash because of it.
Rant Sport‘s Ella Magyar assesses Montoya’s hypocritical comments towards current racers.
Driver discontent
Verstappen has been increasingly critical of the new regulations.
After retiring from the Chinese Grand Prix, Verstappen spoke out once again, calling the racing “Mario Kart” and “a joke”.
“It’s terrible, if someone likes this, then you really don’t know what racing is about,” he expanded. “This is not racing.”
Norris also criticised the regulations during the Chinese Grand Prix weekend, stating that driving these particular cars was “probably not something any of us grew up wanting to do”.
Criticism has not just been about enjoyment but also about safety.
Alongside Norris, Sainz has been one to speak out about safety concerns during his post-race media duties in Australia.
Sainz described the starting procedure as “really dangerous” and overtaking as not very “safe”.
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Montoya’s response
Speaking with AS Colombia, Montoya called out the drivers’ comments as “disrespectful”.
Taking a harsh stance on the matter, Montoya stated that Verstappen and Norris “can leave or get a fine” instead of “mocking” the sport.
Montoya continued his criticisms by going after Sainz next, stating, “If he’s afraid, he can stay home and relax.”
Montoya concluded by insinuating that the drivers are “just trying to get attention”.
My take
I believe Montoya’s comments are overly dramatic and somewhat hypocritical.
Montoya says that the drivers are allowed to have their own opinions and dislike the racing, but then attacks them for expressing exactly that.
He also claims these comments are mostly politically driven and maintains that the criticisms stem from underperformance.
Verstappen himself has declined this notion, saying: “It’s not about being upset about where I am, because I’m actually fighting even more now.”
Norris and Sainz have acknowledged their team’s shortcomings and the work that needs to take place, but this doesn’t necessarily drive their comments on the regulations.
Montoya has clearly demonstrated that he believes it is okay to express harsh criticism.
So why is this not the same for the drivers?
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