Formula 1 gained another off-track episode involving Lando Norris. The current champion was the target of criticism after a controversial interview, but received strong support from the category’s former driver, Juan Pablo Montoya.
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The case draws attention by exposing the delicate relationship between drivers and the press, especially at a time of great visibility for Norris. For Montoya, the situation reinforces the need for caution in interactions with journalists.
The interview, granted to The Guardian newspaper, had clear restrictions imposed by Norris’s team, including prohibited topics such as Max Verstappen, George Russell, and F1 regulations. Even so, the reporter insisted on questions outside of what was agreed, which generated discomfort and even the early interruption of the conversation.
Montoya did not spare criticism for the handling of the case and came to the defense of the British driver: “Very bad on the part of that journalist. If they tell you that you cannot ask certain things and you do it anyway, I would never speak to him again,” he stated. The Colombian also praised Norris’s stance, highlighting that he handled the situation well even under pressure.
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The former driver went further by questioning the intention behind this type of approach: “Journalists ask these questions to try to make someone slip up and create headlines. Many will stab you in the back without thinking twice,” he stated. According to him, experience in the category quickly teaches which professionals are trustworthy and which can distort statements to generate impact.
Montoya also highlighted that the control exercised by Norris’s team is not uncommon, and serves precisely to avoid such situations, especially in an environment where every word can take on great proportions.
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