Former McLaren driver shuts down V8 return hype with savage F1 claim

The former McLaren driver, who has consistently voiced his support for the current era amid widespread criticism and differing opinions surrounding the rules, explained that he remains a fan of the regulations due to the strategic elements they have introduced, including various energy deployment and recharge modes.

The 50-year-old also compared overtaking in the current generation to the previous Drag Reduction System (DRS)-dominated era, arguing that DRS often left the defending driver powerless – something he believes the current regulations have addressed.

“If you see the guy’s going to pass you, you can get into recharge mode earlier, and then you have a little bit more extra energy for the next straight and you can fight your way,” Montoya said on the BBC Chequered Flag podcast.

“With the DRS, I always felt like you were a sitting duck. It’s a second off. A second off is a pretty decent gap, or nine tenths. And then at the end of the straight, the guy blew by you, and they go, ‘What an overtake!’ And I go, ‘What do you mean, what an overtake? He didn’t do anything. He was just sitting there,” he added.

Speaking further on the possibility of Formula 1 returning to V8 engines, Montoya did not hold back in criticising the idea, insisting that racing in the V8 era often felt more like a test session than a competitive race.

Talks of F1 making a return to V8 engines have particularly garnered traction, especially off the back of FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem hinting at the possibility of such happening. The words of the Emirati were further backed by several team principals, including Laurent Mekies and Toto Wolff, who have not held back in their support for the return of the engines.

Earlier, Montoya urged F1’s governing body to consider imposing a sanction on Max Verstappen amid his criticism of the current regulations. The Colombian argued the words of the Red Bull Racing driver have gone far beyond criticism and are now largely damaging to the sport.

Montoya noted that if penalty points were added to Verstappen’s racing licence, he would likely temper his criticism of the current regulations.

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