Racing Icon Labels Max Verstappen’s Miami Pole Pace ‘Annoying’
Former F1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya admitted that Max Verstappen's shocking pace sometimes becomes annoying for presenters on TV.
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Max Verstappen (via Motorsport.com)
Max Verstappen has had a rollercoaster of a season in 2025. The reigning world champion is no longer the favorite for the championship amid McLaren’s rise upfront. Nevertheless, the 27-year-old continues to showcase his brilliance on-track. So much so, that former F1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya expressed his frustration over Verstappen’s capabilities.
Max Verstappen‘s RB21 is slower than the McLarens this year. The Dutch driver has managed to bag a single victory in the first six rounds and trails behind the two McLaren drivers in the standings. Yet, the Red Bull cannot be dismissed from the title fight, as he continues to push himself to the limit. Qualifying at the Miami GP was the latest example.
Juan Pablo Montoya recalled his feelings before Qualifying. The Columbian expected that Max Verstappen would have a difficult Saturday outing after a tough session in the Sprint. However, Verstappen and Red Bull managed to turn things around right when they needed to. With the four-time world champion clinching a surprise pole position. Montoya insisted that this showed how brilliant the 27-year-old was, but still made it annoying for him as a presenter.
I was saying, ‘Max is going to struggle here, the car doesn’t seem to have any traction’ and I don’t know what they did, but they figured it out. Again! They always figure it out. It’s great, but it’s like ‘Wow, that’s so annoying!’
Juan Pablo Montoya said on Ted Kravitz’s ‘Ted’s Notebook’
However, glimpses of brilliance will not be enough for Max Verstappen. The main race exposed the car’s weaknesses yet again, crashing all hopes of a race victory. On the other hand, McLaren’s confidence was once again bolstered as they clinched a 1-2 finish in what is becoming a dominant campaign for the Woking-based team.
Max Verstappen outlines McLaren’s advantage in 2025
The Miami GP did not turn out as Verstappen might have hoped. Despite starting from pole position, things did not go well for the Red Bull star. The Dutch driver was stuck in a controversial battle with Lando Norris and ultimately lost out to the Briton. Moreover, he really had no pace to catch up to the two McLarens upfront throughout the race. In the end, Max Verstappen crossed the finish line in fourth place.
Following the race, Max Verstappen opened up about the disparity between McLaren and Red Bull. The 27-year-old confessed that he simply had no chance against the Woking-based team who had a much quicker car. Additionally, the four-time world champion mentioned that McLaren will have an edge over the rest of the grid when it comes to tire degradation. Albeit, Lando Norris had different opinions when he talked about the advantage his team has against Verstappen and Red Bull.
They were just miles up the road. They were just miles faster than everyone else. On a track where the thermal degradation is very high, they just have a massive advantage. And I think that’s quite clear.
Max Verstappen said, as quoted by PlanetF1
Max Verstappen has been pushing himself at every race this year. The Dutchman is leaving no stone unturned to put up a championship fight. Unfortunately, this is not enough, Verstappen cannot have a realistic shot at the title unless Red Bull makes improvements with the car. Milton Keynes will need to bring some upgrades to ensure that its star driver stays in contention for victories in the coming races.
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