1
Juan Pablo Montoya says the current Mercedes era is no different to any other team's dominance throughout recent F1 history. The former Williams and McLaren driver kicked off the new Indycar series with victory in Florida, so when asked if he misses the so-called pinnacle of motor sport, he insisted: "No!"
"I have no regrets," added the Colombian, who quit McLaren and the series amid acrimony a decade ago, reverting to the American scene, initially Nascar. "In F1, now as then, the driver with the fastest car wins, period," the 40-year-old, notably heavier now than in his F1 career, told Italia Racing. "I never had a dominant car like the Ferrari of those times, but I fought for the title and I'm proud of what I did," Montoya added.
But he is happier now in the US. "I think Indycar is the maximum," he said. "On TV it's good, the public likes it, the races are hard-fought. F1 today is slow in the corners, there isn't much downforce. But at Phoenix we have 5G in the corners -- not bad, right?"
Even so, he said it is wrong to blame Mercedes for making F1 boring. "Is it different to when Schumacher always won?" Montoya asked. "And when McLaren dominated? Let's be serious, it's always been the same."
A bigger problem, he suggested, is F1's notorious "politics". "As a child it was my dream to race in F1, but when I got there and saw how things worked, my dream was destroyed," said Montoya. But he will be cheering for Ferrari in 2016, and in particular Sebastian Vettel.
"I really like him," Montoya said. "I've known him since he was very young. I think he's a more complete driver than Hamilton but winning the world championship does not depend on him alone. If Ferrari give him a winning car, he will do the job, otherwise not. It's the same old story."
As for the current struggles of his old team, McLaren, Montoya also has clear words. "They underestimated the engine situation," said Montoya. "Why go looking for Honda when they already had a Mercedes?" (GMM)
Grand Prix of BelgiumLocal time
Grand Prix of BelgiumLocal time
Bahrain International Circuit - Winter testing
M. Verstappen
C. Sainz jr
C. Leclerc
Bahrain
Bahrain
Bahrain International Circuit
Bahrain
Bahrain International Circuit
Saudi Arabia
Jeddah Street Circuit
Australia
Albert Park
Japan
Circuit Suzuka
United States of America
Miami International Autodrome
Monaco
Monte Carlo
Canada
Gilles Villeneuve
Spain
Circuit de Catalunya
Austria
Red Bull Ring
United Kingdom
Silverstone
Hungary
Hungaroring
Belgium
Spa-Francorchamps
Netherlands
Circuit Zandvoort
Italy
Monza
Azerbaijan
Baku City Circuit
Singapore
Marina Bay Street Circuit
United States of America
Circuit of the Americas
Mexico
Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez
Brazil
Interlagos
United States of America
Las Vegas Street Circuit
United Arab Emirates
Yas Marina Circuit
463,505 comments on Mercedes
66 members have this team as their favourite
Tweets about Lewis Hamilton
601,300 comments on Mercedes 56 members have this team as their favourite Tweets about Mercedes
Replies (1)
Login to replymclarenfan1968
Posts: 1,027
Montoya be da man calling it like it is brah! High five!