From 2001 to 2006 he was, for many, the public enemy number 1 Juan Pablo Montoya. In his years in Formula 1, spent between Williams and McLaren, the Colombian was often among the fiercest and most combative rivals of Michael Schumacher and Ferrari, giving posterity moments of open battle on the track since the debut season.
After retiring from F1, Montoya returned to racing in America, where he won a second Indianapolis 500 in 2015 and then concentrated on the 24 Hours of Le Mans, a classic that saw him winner of the LMP2 Pro-Am category during the 2021 edition.
Juan Pablo Montoya, Ferrari F2008
On the occasion of the Ferrari World Finals being held at Mugello, Montoya managed to fulfill what has not been secretly always been his dream: to step into the cockpit of a Formula 1 Red. World constructors in that season, a car capable of conquering eight pole positions, as many victories and 13 fastest laps.
“It’s strange to be here driving an F1 at Mugello: it doesn’t get any better than this!” Montoya states in an exclusive interview with Motorsport.com. “When I was racing in Formula 1, you had to beat Ferrari every weekend, they were the reference. The goal was that especially when it came to Italy, and I must say that when I did it in Monza it was special.”
Juan Pablo Montoya, Ferrari F2008
“Ferrari has a terrifying tradition, I’ve always promised myself to try one one day and it finally happened. Every car is different: I never expected to find a McLaren that drove this way when I left Williams. Ferrari, on the other hand, is magical, really: you want to drive it to the max, but you know it’s someone else’s car, so you’re a little scared and can’t give everything it can offer right away. You’re scared because you know it has a big margin. “, Montoya continues.
A question related to current events cannot be missing, with an exciting duel between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton which animated the championship throughout 2021. “There is a great battle between Max and Lewis, only now it is also very political. Everything is damn complicated: something needs to be done to clarify some aspects. Sometimes we see penalties for a maneuver that is not sanctioned the following week . What happened at Silverstone led to a penalty for Hamilton: why did Vestappen come out clean in Brazil instead? Just because they avoided each other? “.
“When you drive, especially in situations like these, you have to be clear: it is not only the accident that must cause a penalty. And I am convinced that what will happen in Qatar will define the final result of the season”, continues the Colombian.
Finally, Montoya does not skimp a thrust on the current Formula 1, stating that the pure soul of racing is missing, daughter of the sound of engines. “When you drive one of these cars and you are surrounded by the sound of the V12, it is a mystical experience. Yesterday I was behind a ’95 412 T2, on the straight I could not overtake it with a 2008 car, and he actually distanced me! This is missing from the current single-seaters “; concludes Juan Pablo.
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