Lawson tipped to challenge Max Verstappen in equal machinery

The former Formula 1 driver has been impressed by Lawson's performances and believes the New Zealander has demonstrated enough potential to compete at the front of the grid. He also suggested that Red Bull had taken the wrong approach towards Lawson's willingness to challenge Verstappen on track.

Speaking to AS, Montoya argued that Lawson deserves to be considered among the strongest drivers currently competing in Formula 1: "Right now, you could say that Liam is one of the best drivers on the grid and that, in a top-class car, he’d be right up there fighting for the lead."

Lawson's career has already included a brief and difficult spell alongside Verstappen at Red Bull. The New Zealander was promoted to the senior team at the beginning of 2025 but was replaced after just two Grands Prix, returning to Racing Bulls. Despite that experience, Montoya is convinced that Lawson has the ability to compete against Verstappen under different circumstances.

The Colombian also addressed the prospect of the two drivers competing on equal terms, suggesting that such a scenario would be unlikely to materialise: "Personally, one thing that would be great – but isn’t going to happen – is Max in a team where things were on an equal footing, but neither Max nor his management will ever accept that."

Montoya's assessment comes after Lawson demonstrated his willingness to fight Verstappen on track during their battle in Mexico City, an approach that reportedly did not go down well within Red Bull.

Rather than interpreting Lawson's determination as a problem, the former Williams and McLaren driver believes it should be regarded as a sign of confidence in his own abilities.

Montoya also raised doubts about how much faster Verstappen would actually be if he found himself driving the same machinery currently available to Lawson: "If Max were at Racing Bulls, could he be much better than Liam?"