Montoya Sees Red Bull Revival on the Horizon
Former Formula 1 race winner Juan Pablo Montoya believes Red Bull is steadily finding its way back to the front of the grid, warning competitors that the team’s resurgence is already underway.
His comments followed the Canadian Grand Prix, where Max Verstappen engaged in a fierce battle with Lewis Hamilton before ultimately claiming a podium finish in third. According to Montoya, the performance was another sign that Red Bull is beginning to solve the issues that have hampered its campaign.
Austria Could Mark a Turning Point
Speaking on F1 TV after the race, Montoya highlighted the progress being made by the Milton Keynes-based squad under Laurent Mekies. He pointed specifically to efforts to reduce excess weight from the car, suggesting the upcoming Austrian Grand Prix could be a key moment in Red Bull's recovery.
"Yeah, they're coming. They're for sure coming. They said by Austria, they're supposed to have the car completely on weight, not overweight. This is one of the worst circuits to be overweight.
"The penalty here is huge for the weight. So they've done a really good job. Both cars, even Isack [Hadjar] did a good job. It's crazy how much they complained in qualifying about turning on the tyres and how good they were on those first laps. Even after the pitstop, the first lap they took nearly two seconds out of Kimi in one lap and Isack moved forward.
"Both of them looked really, really strong but they were complaining a little bit, the same thing as Liam [Lawson] that the tyres were coming out of the window, that the tyres were cooling down. That is really interesting. The tyres were, in a way, good because you're not overheating the tyres, but bad because they're getting to the point that sometimes you get to the corner and you have no grip.
"But it was really cool to see how good Max was defending there at the end. And he defended well, and he attacked. I thought he was going to go for it, and I'm going, 'Oh, I don't think Lewis is going to move this time.'"
Montoya was particularly impressed by Verstappen’s race craft in the closing stages, praising the Dutchman’s defensive driving and willingness to attack despite the pressure from behind.
Villeneuve Urges Caution
Not everyone was convinced Red Bull's strong showing in Montreal provides a clear picture of its overall competitiveness. Former world champion Jacques Villeneuve argued that the unusually cool conditions may have played a significant role in the team's performance.
"It's hard to take today because it was so cold," he said. "And it's not a natural racing weekend in that sense. It's not a normal track either. Everything is different. They were running their car too stiffly. It was bouncing all over the place. It looks like they softened up a little bit for the race.
"And when a car is too stiff and bounces off, when you put fuel in it, you make it heavier. It gets a little bit better. But we'll have to see once you get back into the higher temperatures and how everything works out."
Villeneuve believes a more accurate assessment will come when Formula 1 returns to warmer venues, where Red Bull's improvements can be measured under more representative conditions. Until then, questions remain over whether the Canadian Grand Prix marked the beginning of a genuine comeback or simply a weekend where circumstances happened to work in the team's favour.
