Juan Pablo Montoya: F1 treats Max Verstappen unfairly compared to British drivers. Juan Pablo Montoya claims Max Verstappen would have been penalized for George Russell’s move in Canada.

The Colombian strikes again
There was drama at the end of the Canadian Grand Prix, not only due to Lando Norris’s incident but also because of the move pulled by George Russell on Max Verstappen. The Mercedes driver slowed down suddenly on the straight, causing Max Verstappen to briefly overtake him, caught off guard by the unexpected braking. The Red Bull driver even locked up slightly as he tried to react.

Race stewards didn’t intervene, but Red Bull filed a protest against Russell for erratic and unsportsmanlike behavior. While it is true that the race leader is allowed to control the pace behind the Safety Car, Red Bull went ahead with the protest—possibly to divert attention from Max Verstappen, who risked a penalty that could have led to a suspension, as he has only one point left on his Super Licence. The stewards rejected the protest, declaring it unfounded and opting not to penalize either George Russell or Max Verstappen.

According to Juan Pablo Montoya, if the roles had been reversed, Max Verstappen would not have been treated the same way. He believes the Dutch driver is disadvantaged in what he considers a British-leaning Formula 1. This idea has also been echoed by Fernando Alonso and Max Verstappen himself in the past:

“Penalties should be automatic—an action must lead to a sanction,” Juan Pablo Montoya told the Colombian edition of AS. “I think if Verstappen had done what Russell did, he would have been penalized, and that’s a problem. There’s always been a double standard based on drivers’ nationalities. I experienced the same—penalties against me were always harsh and exemplary.”