Max Verstappen once again sparked controversy during the Canadian GP weekend, this time in a war of words with Juan Pablo Montoya. The four-time Formula 1 world champion reacted harshly after the former Colombian driver criticized his statements about the category’s regulations in 2026.
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The discussion began after Montoya participated in the BBC podcast ‘Chequered Flag’ and questioned the Red Bull Racing driver’s stance. The Colombian stated that Verstappen exaggerated when attacking the new technical rules, which the Dutchman previously described as something like ‘Mario Kart and anti-racing’.
Verstappen also suggested that he might leave Formula 1 if the regulations were not changed. The statements provoked a strong reaction from Montoya, who called for harsher consequences for such comments within the category.
“You need to respect the sport. It’s okay not to like the regulations, but the way he talks about the sport he lives from should have consequences,” said the former driver.
Montoya also suggested sporting penalties for the Red Bull driver: “They should stop him. Add seven or eight points to his super license. I guarantee the message would be different after that,” said the Colombian.
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The former driver also questioned Verstappen’s criticism of the current car concept: “I’m not saying he shouldn’t be frank, but he can’t call a Formula 1 car Mario Kart. When the rear wing opened and gave an extra 30 km/h, wasn’t that artificial too?” he questioned.
During the weekend in Montreal, Verstappen directly responded to Montoya’s statements and showed irritation with the Colombian’s comments. In an interview with the Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf, the driver said he did not understand why Montoya is still involved in activities related to Formula 1.
“I don’t know what his problem is. I also can’t deal much with someone who talks so much nonsense. I don’t understand why people like that are paid by the Formula 1 management. You wouldn’t want someone like that in the paddock talking so much rubbish, would you? I think he believes that if he says something different from everyone else, he will remain relevant,” the Dutchman concluded.
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