The exchange of statements between Juan Pablo Montoya and Max Verstappen stirred the Formula 1 paddock after the Canadian GP. After defending penalties against the Red Bull Racing driver for criticisms of the current category regulations, the former Colombian driver stated that there is no personal problem between the two.
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The matter gained momentum during the weekend in Montreal, when Montoya suggested that drivers who speak badly of Formula 1 should receive sporting penalties. When asked if this would also apply to Verstappen, the former driver answered positively, further increasing the case’s repercussion in the paddock.
In a later interview, Montoya sought to reduce the tension involving the four-time world champion: “No, there is no drama between me and Max. If he got angry about this, then he has bigger problems in life than he should,” said the Colombian, highlighting that the two maintain a cordial relationship at the circuits.
The former driver also stated that he occasionally talks with Verstappen during race weekends and also usually greets Jos Verstappen, the Dutchman’s father and also a former F1 driver: “We have talked before at races and, actually, we get along very well. We don’t talk much, but we greet each other.”
Montoya also detailed the context of the statements that started the controversy: “I said that drivers who speak badly of Formula 1 should receive points on their super license or even be disqualified from a race, as happens in other sports. When asked if this included Max, I said ‘yes’. Then they asked Max what he thought of me and, naturally, he reacted,” he said, referring to the harsh response from the Dutch driver on the matter.
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Verstappen responded strongly to the Colombian’s criticisms. In an interview with the newspaper De Telegraaf, the Red Bull driver said he does not care about people who ‘talk a lot of nonsense’ and questioned why figures like Montoya continue working linked to Formula 1 management.
“I don’t know what his problem is. I also don’t care much about someone who talks so much nonsense. I don’t understand why people like that are paid by Formula 1 management, since sometimes he works for them,” the Dutchman said about Montoya.
The Red Bull driver also said he would not like to have someone ‘talking so much nonsense’ in the paddock, but assured that this does not affect his performance or personal life. Verstappen finished the Canadian GP in third position, achieving his first podium of the 2026 season, after battling positions with Lewis Hamilton during the race. After the race, the Dutchman again criticized the current Formula 1 regulations and said that the spectacle seen in Montreal could have happened ‘even with a rented car’.
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