Juan Pablo Montoya Downplays Verstappen’s F1 Dominance: ‘It’s The Car’

Posted on August 9, 2023 | by Charley Williams Tell them how you really feel! Former F1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya has let all of his thoughts out whilst discussing Max Verstappen’s F1 dominance, claiming that he’s no better than he was two years ago and that his achievements are all down to the car. Ouch.  After many years of Mercedes dominance, the metaphorical baton has shifted to Red Bull, particularly Max Verstappen. The team has won every single race of the 2023 season so far, with Max winning 10 out of the 12 himself. He’s on his way to a third consecutive championship title and breaking many records along the way. But during an interview with Semana TV, Montoya suggested that if Verstappen wasn’t in the RB19, this era of dominance might not exist. He said: “Right now, Max is doing a very good job. But he looks just as invincible as when Hamilton was winning everything. That’s the reality. Max is a very good driver, but he’s in the best car. “His speed right now is no better than his speed two years ago. It’s probably the same. It’s the car that is much better. “If you take Max out of that car, there are seven or eight drivers who could be world champion in that car. If he wasn’t there, Checo, Hamilton, Sainz, Leclerc, Norris – they’d be world champion. In motorsport, it’s about timing. “With these rules, the Red Bull is the best car. If the rules then change suddenly, it might not be.” Ahh, the old “it’s the car” vs “it’s the driver” debate!