Former McLaren and Williams F1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya has strongly criticized Max Verstappen for his ongoing complaints about the sport’s new regulations introduced this season. The Colombian believes the Red Bull driver should receive penalty points on his superlicense—a mandatory document for all F1 competitors—and even face a one-race ban for excessive criticism.
Speaking on the BBC’s Chequered Flag podcast, Montoya discussed the issue alongside 1996 F1 champion Damon Hill. He expressed particular frustration over Verstappen comparing the current F1 cars to the video game “Mario Kart.”
“You have to respect the sport. For me, what the drivers are doing… it’s okay if you don’t like the regulations, but the way you talk about your own job and your own sport should have consequences,” Montoya said.
When pressed by other podcast participants to elaborate on potential penalties, Montoya replied: “Suspend him. Add seven points to his license, eight points to his license. Anything he does after that would lead to a suspension. I guarantee you the messages would be different.”
The 50-year-old Colombian stressed he is not against drivers expressing their opinions but called for limits on how such comments are made.
“I’m not saying ‘don’t say you don’t like the regulations,’ because if you don’t like them, you have every right to an opinion. It’s okay to be frank. I’m not saying ‘don’t be frank,’ but don’t come and call an F1 car Mario Kart,” he concluded.
The FIA’s superlicense system imposes penalties on F1 drivers for infractions. If a driver accumulates 12 penalty points within a 12-month period, they are automatically suspended for one race. Verstappen narrowly avoided suspension last year after reaching 11 points, but some penalties expired before he could be banned. Currently, the Dutch driver has only three points on his superlicense.
Since the season began, F1 drivers have criticized the energy management system of the new cars. The cars have limited battery recovery capacity, forcing teams and drivers to frequently use energy recovery techniques. Battery management has also raised safety concerns due to large speed differences during overtaking attempts, along with complaints about the “artificial” nature of maneuvers driven by energy shortages.
Verstappen has been among the most vocal critics. Beyond comparing F1 cars to Mario Kart, he has described the racing as “anti-racing” and claimed that anyone who enjoys the new F1 cars does not understand motorsport. The Dutch driver is considering leaving the category at the end of the season, and even the changes made by the FIA during the April break have not altered his opinion.
“What I said before about the rules remains the same. It’s still not where I would like it to be,” Verstappen stated.