Verstappen’s Criticisms
The technical regulations introduced this season have sparked quite a few controversies in the world of Formula 1, from spectators to drivers. Among them, the one who did not at all agree with the changes introduced in the Circus was Max Verstappen, who from the pre-season tests onwards compared the cars to Mario Kart, calling them “Formula E on steroids” with anti-race rules.
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Montoya Disagrees
Concepts and definitions that were not at all appreciated by a former Formula 1 driver like Juan Pablo Montoya, who on the BBC podcast, Chequered Flag, proposed penalties for the four-time world champion such as adding points to his FIA Super License, or even disqualification for a race: “The sport must be respected – commented the 50-year-old Colombian – as far as I’m concerned, I don’t mind if drivers don’t like the regulations, but the way they talk about their sport, and how they live it, should have consequences“.
Montoya’s proposal regarding Verstappen, who currently has three penalty points on his Super License for the incident in the last Spanish GP with Russell, would be to add more points to approach the maximum quota of 12, which once reached or exceeded would lead to automatic disqualification for a GP. An absence from the track that Montoya did not at all rule out: “Put him in the stands – he added – add seven or eight points to the license. Whatever he does after, it will be suspended. I guarantee you the communication would be completely different. I’m not saying: ‘Don’t say you don’t like the regulations,’ because if you don’t like them you have every right to express your opinion. It’s okay to be frank. I’m not saying don’t be, but don’t come and call an F1 car a Mario Kart.”
In conclusion, the former Williams and Mercedes driver emphasized that the internal team dynamics could influence his statements: “There are two aspects to consider: first, what he really thinks, and second, what the team probably asks him to say. The political dynamics of this sport are very important, and the message that drivers receive and are often asked to give is guided. They tell you we have to insist on this point because it will help us a lot.”
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