Racing
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Juan Pablo Montoya says there is "no drama" between himself and Max Verstappen after their Canadian Grand Prix exchange, even as he continues to defend both his criticism of Verstappen’s public comments about Formula 1 and his decision to drive a Mercedes at the Nürburgring.
The row flared after Verstappen reacted angrily in Montreal to Montoya’s earlier remarks about drivers criticizing the sport. Speaking to De Telegraaf during the weekend, Verstappen said: "I don't know what his problem is." He went on to say he had little patience for someone who "talks so much nonsense" and questioned why Formula 1 management would pay someone like Montoya, a reference to his work with FOM and F1 TV.
Montoya’s answer was to strip the dispute of any personal edge rather than retreat from the substance. Speaking to talkSPORT BET, Montoya said: "No, there is no drama." He added that if anyone was angry over it, "you have more problems in your life than you should have." Montoya said he and Verstappen have spoken at races before, that they get along fine, and that although they do not spend time chatting, they still greet each other. He said the same applies to Jos Verstappen.
He also argued that the comments which triggered Verstappen’s response had been distorted. Montoya said his BBC Chequered Flag podcast interview was "completely taken out of context" and insisted his broader point was that any driver who speaks badly about Formula 1 should face sporting consequences, including penalty points or even a race ban, "like in every other sport." When asked whether that also applied to Verstappen, he said he answered: "Yes."
Montoya said Verstappen’s reaction was unsurprising because journalists put the question directly to him in Canada. He said Verstappen had not approached him personally and added that, if the situation had been reversed, he would have responded the same way himself.
Even while trying to cool the feud narrative, Montoya did not soften on another point of criticism. He said Verstappen was wrong to drive a Mercedes in a GT3 outing at the Nürburgring, arguing that with Ford investing heavily in Red Bull, "it was simply wrong to drive a Mercedes."
That leaves the story in an unusual place: Montoya is rejecting the idea of a real falling-out with Verstappen, but not withdrawing the judgments that caused the clash. For Verstappen, the issue is less a personal feud than another public argument over who gets to criticize the sport, and where the line falls between honesty and damaging Formula 1’s own image.