Juan Pablo Montoya hits back at F1 2026 critics: “DRS overtaking was fake too”. Juan Pablo Montoya criticizes F1 2026 overtaking rules, comparing DRS to current energy boosts. .

The Colombian and the hypocrisy around overtakes

“If someone likes this, then they really don’t understand motorsport. This is not racing, and the rules are the worst ever. It has nothing to do with actual racing.” Max Verstappen continued to criticize F1 2026 even after the China GP.

After the Australian GP, an emergency meeting to immediately revise the regulations seemed likely. However, following the Shanghai weekend, the FIA and FOM decided not to take rushed decisions, postponing any changes to the unexpected long break in April.

In China, overtaking dynamics improved noticeably compared to Australia, but the issues with Qualifying and the “sadness” of seeing cars not only hit speed limits but actually lose momentum on straights remain unresolved. Regarding overtakes, however, Juan Pablo Montoya’s comments stand out, shared in a podcast dedicated to him by the Colombian edition of the Spanish newspaper AS.

Montoya’s perspective on DRS and current F1 rules

“Overtakes were fake even with DRS, but no one talked about Mario Kart,” Juan Pablo Montoya explained. “Just as you pressed a button to pass in the last 15 years, now you press a button to gain more energy and attack the car ahead. The problem with F1 is communicational. Even with these rules, the attacking driver still has to be very skilled to set up the overtake, execute it, and then defend the gained position from a counterattack. All of this is still an art. When Formula 1 learns how to manage all of this and presents it better to the audience, the problem will disappear.”

The upcoming rounds will serve as a testing ground for Juan Pablo Montoya’s theory. If the public can begin to see the strategic depth behind the battery deployment, the 2026 era may finally find the respect it currently lacks from the established guard of the paddock.