Sports · Motorsport · 7 hrs ago
Montoya says Verstappen’s quietness should worry his F1 rivals
At the US Grand Prix in Austin, former F1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya says Max Verstappen is still a serious contender for victory.
Verstappen finished in the top three in all three practice sessions, while teammate Isack Hadjar was well behind him.
Ferrari has two competitive drivers, but Montoya says the field is close and that success may depend on putting together a clean lap.
Track limits could decide qualifying, with drivers at risk of penalties if they go beyond the white lines.
Verstappen has raised a concern about how the car shifts gears, but has otherwise made few complaints about the setup.
Montoya says that quietness may mean Verstappen is happy with the car, which could worry rivals hoping he will ask Red Bull to make changes.
Qualifying is the next test, and the Austin race follows; the available information does not give the results.
Juan Pablo Montoya says Max Verstappen’s quietness should worry his Formula 1 rivals.
Montoya says Verstappen rarely complains and is usually happy when he is quiet.
Verstappen finished every free practice session in Austin in the top three, according to F1 Maximaal.nl.
Montoya says Ferrari, McLaren and Mercedes cannot be considered clear favourites because the field is closely matched.
A separate RacingNews365 report said Verstappen had won two races in a row and was 17 points behind George Russell in the championship standings.
- Who
- Juan Pablo Montoya warned Verstappen’s Formula 1 rivals.
- What
- Montoya said Verstappen’s quietness is a concerning sign for his rivals.
- When
- The comments were reported on October 24, 2026.
- Where
- The discussion concerned the United States Grand Prix in Austin.
- Why
- Montoya said Verstappen is usually quiet when he is happy with the car, while Ferrari would benefit if he were unsettled and seeking changes.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Red Bull took a major step forward, according to RacingNews365.
Verstappen finished second in Azerbaijan, then won in Malaysia and Singapore.
F1 Maximaal.nl reported Montoya’s comments about Verstappen’s quietness and the Austin Grand Prix.
- Austin practice
- Verstappen finished every free practice session in the top three.
- Championship gap
- Verstappen was 17 points behind George Russell, according to RacingNews365.
- Recent wins
- Verstappen won in Malaysia and Singapore.
- Ferrari
- Montoya said it was the only team with two competitive drivers.
- Team-mate comparison
- F1 Maximaal.nl said Isack Hadjar was not close to Verstappen in the free practice sessions.
3 sources
What people are saying
If Max is so quiet, that is worrying.
If Max is quiet, he is usually happy.
Max is in dominant form, don’t you think?
If you had to make a bet, you would put your money on Max for second place in the world championship.