Kieran is a freelance Formula 1 journalist for GPblog, covering breaking news, live race blogs and feature content across the F1 calendar. An NQJ-qualified journalist with more than a decade of experience, he has previously written for publications including MailOnline, the Manchester Evening News and the Eastern Daily Press.
Juan Pablo Montoya has made a bold comparison by suggesting that Liam Lawson is starting to show signs that he could become the next Max Verstappen.
The Formula 1 legend has praised the Racing Bulls driver's pace and growing confidence, during an appearance on the MontoyaAS podcast.
His comments come as Lawson's immediate Formula 1 future has been decided, after it was announced that he would remain with the Racing Bulls team in 2027, with Nikola Tsolov taking on a reserve driver role next year.
Speaking on his podcast, Montoya said: "To a certain extent, Liam is starting to show that he could be the next Max. He could."
The Colombian named Lawson as the strongest driver in the midfield in 2026. "He's the best driver. Of the drivers in the slower cars in the second group, he's the best driver. He sets the pace," Montoya said.
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Lawson partnered Max Verstappen at the start of the 2025 season at Red Bull, but was demoted after just two races. He also partnered Verstappen for three races this season, as a stand-in for Isack Hadjar, but struggled to match the pace of the Dutchman.
Montoya: Lindblad deserves more scrutiny than Lawson
Despite having more than double the points of Arvid Lindblad, it was Lawson who saw his seat come under pressure from emerging Red Bull junior driver Nikola Tsolov.
Lindblad has enjoyed a solid debut season in Formula 1 but has largely been outperformed by Lawson in the head-to-head teammate battle. The qualifying head-to-head is 11-6 in Lawson's favour, while Lindblad has only gotten the better of his teammate on four occasions on raceday.
Montoya has argued that Racing Bulls should view Lawson as a driver to build around, suggesting rookie team-mate Arvid Lindblad deserved greater scrutiny when assessing their respective performances.
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"Yes, in other words, if you were going to question someone at this moment, you would have to question Lindblad more than Lawson," Montoya said.
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