Sports
Max Verstappen Would Rather Crash Than Lose, Says Juan Pablo Montoya
Max Verstappen has been criticized by former Formula 1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya for his intense, no-holds-barred racing style, which often results in collisions with his rivals. Montoya, a seven-time grand prix winner, pointed out that Verstappen’s competitive drive means he would “rather crash than let you beat him,” a mentality that has sometimes led to controversial moments on track.
Verstappen’s clashes with Lewis Hamilton during their heated 2021 title fight are well-documented, with both drivers involved in several crashes. More recently, Verstappen also found himself involved in incidents with McLaren’s Lando Norris last year. Montoya suggested that Verstappen’s unwillingness to lose could explain his behavior.
“Max doesn’t like losing, and Max is a guy who would rather crash than let you beat him,” Montoya shared with OnlineCassino.com.br. “We saw it at the end of last year where he did things that shocked people. We were asking ourselves, ‘Why did he do that?’”
Montoya pointed out the shift in perspective as Verstappen’s position in the sport has evolved. “When he was going against Lewis and taking no prisoners, everyone thought, ‘Oh great. Finally, someone is standing up to Hamilton.’ Now, when the guy who is winning does something dodgy, people start questioning it. That’s a new thing,” he said.
Verstappen Won’t Be a Threat to Hamilton in 2025, Says Montoya
Despite Verstappen’s dominance in recent seasons, winning four consecutive drivers’ titles, Montoya believes Verstappen will not be a major challenge in the 2025 F1 season. The Colombian is not convinced that Red Bull will be able to maintain its supremacy, citing struggles during parts of the 2024 season and the departure of design legend Adrian Newey to Aston Martin.
Montoya speculated that McLaren and Ferrari, with the addition of seven-time world champion Hamilton, are in a better position to challenge Red Bull in 2025.
“Verstappen is not going to be Lewis’s problem this year,” Montoya stated. “I’d be surprised if Red Bull comes out swinging like the last few years. Adrian Newey said recently that the problems at Red Bull are not as simple as they thought.”
Montoya elaborated on Red Bull’s struggles with car design: “It’s really difficult because when you believe what you’re doing is right and all of a sudden things stop working, how far back do you go? And at what point do you ask yourself, ‘Is what we’re doing now right or are we still wrong?’”
He added that Red Bull’s performance issues could lead them to stagnate: “If you’re building the car wrong and realize it, how convinced are you that what you’re doing now is completely right? If you keep going forward with the wrong basics, you’ll never get out of the hole.”
On the other hand, Montoya praised McLaren for their current strength: “McLaren seems to have a very good understanding of how to turn their performance into success. They are the best team right now at identifying what is needed and making it work better.”
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Sourced:Crash
