Montoya: ‘Verstappen is not going to be Lewis’ problem this year’

Former F1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya has stirred the pot with bold predictions about a three-way title fight this season, involving McLaren, Ferrari, and Red Bull.

While Montoya puts Team Papaya at the top of the grid, with Ferrari and Lewis Hamilton in close pursuit, the Columbian also cautions about the potential for conflict between McLaren’s drivers, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.

As for Max Verstappen and Red Bull, the former Grand Prix winner casts doubt on the Dutchman’s ability to challenge for glory amid the Milton Keynes-based outfit inconsistent performances in 2024.

Hamilton’s Hunger and Ferrari’s Potential

Montoya views Hamilton’s switch to Ferrari as a calculated gamble that could pay off big.

"When anyone moves teams like Lewis, you’re always going to say that you’re happier and feel more comfortable than you were before. That’s the standard corporate line,” the 49-year-old told OnlineCassino.com.

However, he believes Hamilton’s determination goes beyond PR rhetoric.

“I really do believe he wants to do it. I think he wants it really bad. He really wants to win. That’s going to go a long way,” he added.

Montoya pointed to Ferrari’s progress late last season as a key reason why Hamilton could thrive.

“It’s hard to say what’s going to happen, how good Ferrari is going to be. But you look at the car at the end of the year, it was the closest car to the McLaren. So being the closest car to the McLaren, you’re not far off.”

The Charles Leclerc Dynamic

While Hamilton’s arrival at Ferrari has boosted expectations, Montoya warned that team harmony would play a crucial role.

“The big thing is going to be the interaction with Charles and how all that develops. That’s the biggest thing in my opinion; how well are they going to work together and whether Ferrari is going to do a good job managing them,” he explained.

However, Montoya suggested, rather surprisingly, that Ferrari would likely prioritize Hamilton, despite public declarations of equal treatment.

“It is in their interest, though, to focus everything on Lewis. I think they will. Publicly, Ferrari are going to say it’s equal and will let them race,” he noted.

For Leclerc, Montoya advised taking a pragmatic approach.

“If Charles can play the game really smart, the team game, and understands that there’s a lot to learn from Lewis, that’ll serve him well,” he said.

“It’ll be hard because Charles is a very complete driver. So, it’s really hard to tell Charles that he has someone as a teammate who is going to teach him a lot. That’s going to be really hard to swallow.

“If he can understand and respect that, he should just be nice and play along with things and say, ‘Let’s develop the car, let’s develop Ferrari to be world champion again.’

“If Lewis has a bad race, Charles can win the race. But if Lewis wins, he’s going to be second and he’s going to be there and he’s going to be adding the points. And maybe at the end of the year, Ferrari goes: How about it?”

Red Bull’s Troubles: A Blow for Verstappen

Montoya expressed skepticism about Verstappen’s ability to compete for a third consecutive title, citing Red Bull’s recent struggles compounded by Adrian Newey’s move to Aston Martin.

“Max Verstappen is not going to be Lewis’s problem this year,” he said bluntly.

“I’d be surprised if Red Bull comes out swinging like the last few years. Adrian Newey came out the other day saying that the problems at Red Bull are not as simple as they think it is.

“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 go, ‘Is what we’re doing now right or are we still wrong?’

“If you’re saying you’re building the car wrong and you realize what you’re doing is wrong, then how convinced are you that what you’re doing now is completely right?

“At some point, they have just got to go, ‘This is what we believe in and this is where we’re going to put an effort in and this is what we’re going to do and this is what’s going to happen.’

“You just start moving sideways or even backwards. If you keep going forward based on the wrong basics, you’re never going to get out of the hole. And that hole can be very deep, that’s the problem,” he warned.

Internal Risks at McLaren

While Ferrari and Red Bull are grappling with their respective challenges, Montoya sees McLaren as the team to beat in 2025, praising the outfit’s ability to translate their development into on-track success.

“McLaren right now are the best team at identifying what is needed, telling the organisation what they are going to do, and making it work better,” Montoya said.

However, he cautioned that McLaren’s egalitarian approach with drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri could create friction.

“Initially, they’re going to be pretty relaxed about it,” he noted. “I think McLaren are going to be very clear that whoever’s ahead they’re going to have to be a little more respectful.

They want to be fair for both drivers, but I think they understand that they cannot throw points away from them racing each other.”

As the season progresses, the situation could escalate if both drivers are in contention for the championship.

“Piastri and Norris are both in a good place with each other and I think they’re being fair enough to each other,” he added.

“I think it could get ugly at the end of the year if they have a big advantage in points and they let them race for the championship.”

A Three-Way Fight to Watch

As the 2025 season edges closer, Montoya’s insights paint a fascinating picture of his prediction of a three-team title battle.

With Ferrari and Hamilton reinvigorated, Red Bull facing unprecedented challenges, and McLaren emerging as a dominant force, F1 fans are in for a thrilling season.

Only time will tell if Hamilton’s Scuderia gamble pays off, Verstappen overcomes Red Bull’s woes, or McLaren’s harmonious façade cracks under pressure. But one thing is clear: the race for the championship will be anything but predictable.

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