Juan Pablo Montoya came out in defense of the current generation of Formula 1 and criticized the growing movement for the return of V8 engines. The former Colombian driver stated that races from the old era were less interesting than many fans tend to remember.
Read more F1: Briatore praises Colapinto’s performance in Miami: «It’s what we expect from him»
While executives like Toto Wolff and Laurent Mekies have shown support for the possible return of V8s, an idea recently mentioned by FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem, Montoya took the opposite stance. For him, the current regulations have brought important strategic elements to on-track battles.
The former driver especially highlighted how energy management influences position battles. According to Montoya, the current system allows drivers to react defensively during opponents’ attacks, something he considers more interesting than the old dominance of DRS in overtaking.
“If you realize the driver is going to overtake you, you can enter recharge mode earlier and save a bit more energy for the next straight and keep fighting,” he said on the BBC Chequered Flag podcast. Montoya compared this with the period when DRS dominated overtaking. “With DRS, I always felt like you were an easy target. The driver came a second behind and simply passed at the end of the straight. They said: ‘What an incredible overtake!’, but he did nothing,” he criticized.
Read more Nürburgring minimizes return to F1 and points to Nordschleife as ‘superstar’
Montoya also rebutted the nostalgia surrounding V8 engines and stated that races from that time were less competitive than they seem today. “People say that era was great, but just watch a race. It was very boring, even for us. Sometimes it felt like a short testing session,” he said.
The discussion about the future of engines continues to grow in Formula 1, especially after the first months of the new 2026 technical generation. Despite criticism from drivers and some fans of the current cars, Montoya believes the championship is still evolving and that modern regulations offer more interesting battles than many admit.
Read more MotoGP: Márquez undergoes two surgeries after serious accident
