Racing
© Jonathan Borba
Juan Pablo Montoya says Red Bull should stop Max Verstappen from racing outside Formula 1 after a fatal crash in last weekend’s Nurburgring 24 Hours Qualifiers intensified the risk around the world champion’s side programs.
The debate sharpened after 66-year-old driver Juha Miettinen was killed in a major accident that brought the first of two qualifying races featuring Verstappen to an early halt at the Nürburgring.
Verstappen, speaking to Viaplay on Sunday, said the speed of the stoppage immediately signaled the seriousness of the incident. “If there is a red flag that quickly, especially on a circuit like here, where actually there is almost never a red flag, then you know that something has gone badly wrong,” he said.
He said the wait for news was difficult, and that confirmation of the fatality left a lasting impact. “When you eventually hear the news, that is of course not nice for anyone,” Verstappen said. “In the end, you know that those kinds of things can happen, only when it happens, yes, it still remains a very strange feeling.”
Montoya, the former F1 driver, argued on the MontoyAS podcast that Red Bull should now rethink the freedom it gives Verstappen to compete in other categories. Asked whether the team should impose a ban, he replied: “100 per cent. No, sorry. 200 per cent.”
His concern was straightforward. “There could be an accident, he could break his leg or arm,” Montoya said, framing Verstappen not just as a driver pursuing extra races, but as Red Bull’s biggest competitive asset.
Montoya said the scale of Red Bull’s investment should be enough to change its stance after the Nürburgring tragedy. “The money that Red Bull has invested in him should be enough reason to say, ‘Look, we gave you the chance, but with this accident we are reconsidering it and we think that this should not happen,’” he said.
He added that he believes Red Bull has so far avoided taking a harder line because “they are afraid of losing him.” If he were running the team, Montoya said, “I would have called Max and said, ‘Sir, please, don’t get in the car anymore.’”
Montoya said his own teams blocked similar plans during his career, including invitations to drive rally cars and take part in tests, because once a team has made a major investment in a driver, “you have to protect him.” That is now the heart of the question facing Red Bull as Verstappen’s racing outside F1 comes under heavier scrutiny after the fatal accident at the Nordschleife.