After Juan Pablo Montoya called for a race ban for Max Verstappen, the Dutch driver is firing back—saying the former driver is talking “a lot of nonsense”
Exactly 25 years ago, Jos Verstappen drew the wrath of Juan Pablo Montoya when he crashed into the then-BMW-Williams driver while he was in the lead at the 2001 Brazilian Grand Prix. A quarter-century later, there is friction again between Montoya and a Verstappen.
This time, however, it is Jos’s son Max with whom Montoya—no longer an active Formula 1 driver but now an expert—has clashed. The dispute began with the Colombian’s statement that the FIA should go ahead and suspend Verstappen for a race following his ongoing criticism of the new regulations.
“I don’t know what his problem is,” the four-time world champion now counters in an interview with De Telegraaf. Verstappen believes Montoya is someone “who talks so much nonsense” and explains that he doesn’t understand “why guys like that are paid by Formula 1 management.”
Montoya is working this season as an analyst for F1 TV, Formula 1’s official streaming service. “You don’t want someone who spouts so much nonsense in the paddock, do you?” the Dutchman wonders.
However, Montoya made the suggestion to suspend Verstappen elsewhere, namely on the BBC’s Chequered Flag podcast. “I think it’s a case of: ‘I’ll say something different from everyone else, then I’ll be relevant,’” the Red Bull driver speculates.
He himself isn’t “particularly” interested in such things anyway, he emphasizes, explaining: “That’s his problem. I live my life and don’t let it influence me.” Montoya was also back in action last weekend as an expert for F1 TV at the Canadian Grand Prix.
Incidentally, we can’t completely rule out the possibility that we’ll eventually see “Montoya vs. Verstappen” on the racetrack again. Montoya’s son Sebastian currently races in Formula 2 and is thus on the verge of moving up to the premier class.
However, Montoya’s results there have been modest. He finished his debut season in 2025 in twelfth place overall, and in 2026 he is currently in eleventh position. He finished fourth in the Formula 2 race in Canada last Sunday.
So, at least for now, the “Montoya versus Verstappen” duel will have to continue off the track.
