Former Formula 1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya has offered a rather unusual take on how the season could unfold in its final stages. While almost everyone now considers Lando Norris the clear favourite to lift the championship trophy, Juan Pablo Montoya, speaking to ‘PokerStrategy’, did not completely rule the Australian out of the title battle. He suggested that “Norris could drop his guard just like Piastri did earlier in the season”.
Verstappen out and Piastri struggling: Montoya’s view on the final races
According to the former Williams and McLaren driver, “Lando needs to be very careful, even though, at this point, he would still win the World Championship even if he finished every race behind his teammate. Oscar’s problem is that he is lacking speed. Norris managed to open a gap on him in Brazil. When Oscar passed Kimi Antonelli and Charles Leclerc, he was already eight seconds behind the leader. What’s the excuse? In Mexico there was low grip, in Brazil the track was bumpy, and Las Vegas, because of the low downforce required, doesn’t seem like a track that suits McLaren”. Montoya listed every factor that, in his view, works against any potential late-season comeback from Oscar Piastri.
He then added: “The papaya cars won’t have a big advantage, and the other teams will make life difficult for them. I expect Ferrari, Mercedes and Red Bull to deliver strong performances in Las Vegas. So if Piastri has a mediocre race, he could even lose between ten and fifteen points”, making it seem as though a three-way fight for the championship could still emerge. However, Montoya does not believe that will be the case. According to him, “Verstappen is already out of the competition. He has too big a points deficit. The McLarens would both need two retirements each in the last three races”, as reported by ‘Crash.net’.
No, the Colombian is convinced that the battle now involves only the two McLaren drivers, even if Oscar Piastri is currently the one showing more signs of struggle. He insisted that “you cannot rule him out of the title fight. If Norris retires and Oscar wins the Las Vegas Grand Prix, Oscar Piastri would be back on top of the standings with a one-point advantage over his teammate. ‘It’s not over until the fat lady sings’. There could still be plenty of surprises around the corner”, Juan Pablo Montoya concluded.
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