Juan Pablo Montoya did not take long to respond. When Max Verstappen’s comments about a potential Formula 1 exit began making their way around the paddock, the Colombian was immediate, unfiltered and undiplomatic: if you are not happy, the door is open.

“If you’re not happy being an F1 driver, you should leave,” Montoya said in an interview with Casinostugan. And he did not stop there. The former driver who competed in the sport between 2001 and 2006 went further, questioning not just Verstappen’s message but the way the Dutchman is delivering it. “He should have the courage to stand by his convictions. If you’re not happy with the rules, talk to people instead of threatening to leave. That’s not going to do much good.”

But the line that landed hardest was the one Montoya saved for the heart of the matter — and it cuts directly to what he sees as the real issue: “If I were him, I would shut up, accept it and admit that I have a terrible car, that I’m frustrated because my car is 20 kilos overweight and won’t be competitive all year.” In other words: the problem is not the 2026 regulations — it is the RB22, the car Red Bull has failed to get on top of through the season’s first three rounds.

Verstappen finished eighth at the Japanese Grand Prix and sits ninth in the championship. After Suzuka, the four-time world champion was explicit about his dissatisfaction with the new Formula 1 era, describing the 2026 cars as “anti-driving” and admitting he questions whether the sacrifice of a 22-race season is still worth it when he is not enjoying what he does.

For Montoya, that argument does not hold — and Verstappen’s potential exit, if it ever materialised, would not shake the foundations of the sport. “At the end of the day, nobody is more important than the sport. It’s like when you’re married and the other person doesn’t want to be with you — if they decide you’re not the person they want to spend the rest of their life with, whether you try to keep them or not, they’re going to be unhappy.” The analogy is as blunt as it is effective: Formula 1 existed before Verstappen and will exist after him.

“The sport is bigger than one person. And that’s how it is, no matter how important that person is — the sport will always be bigger,” the Colombian concluded.

Montoya makes a point history supports: F1 has outlasted every champion who has walked away from it. What remains to be seen is whether Verstappen, under contract with Red Bull through 2028, decides to test that.

Thumbnail credits: © Walter Arce | Dreamstime.com