Juan Pablo Montoya, a former Formula One driver, has been involved in American racing for a long time. This weekend, he will be in France, competing for the DragonSpeed Racing team in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Montoya competed in Formula 1 from 2001 to 2006, sharing the grid with Jos Verstappen for two seasons. However, there was always plenty of space between the two drivers. “Jos did not really have a competitive car”, says the Colombian against. “Everyone always said he was super fast, but unfortunately he didn’t manage to make the most of his career.”
According to Montoya, the vibe in the paddock was quite different back then than it is now. “Everyone was quite on their own, nobody was friends with each other. The only drivers I talked to were Rubens Barrichello and Fernando Alonso, and occasionally Felipe Massa,” continued the 45-year-old driver. “I grew up with the idea that you had to beat each other, and not make friendships in the sport. Formula 1 was a tough world. Nowadays it’s a bit more relaxed, partly because of social media.”
During the 2001 Brazilian Grand Prix, an event that many Dutch Formula 1 fans will remember occurred. Montoya appeared to be on his way to his first victory until he lapped Verstappen and collided with the Arrows. The Colombian reacted calmly to the issue at the time, and he also has a sober perspective on it now. “Even if that hadn’t happened I probably wouldn’t have won that race”, he explains, referring to the rain later in the race, in which the Michelin tyres didn’t perform as well as the Bridgestone ones.
“But thanks to Jos I looked like a hero”, Montoya laughs. “Of course I was angry then, but it was what it was. Besides, at the time something regularly broke down in the car, so maybe I would have crashed out because of something else. I was just happy that I had overtaken Michael Schumacher and was leading the race”, he recalls.
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