Ex-Formula 1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya has questioned Lewis Hamilton’s comments regarding Red Bull’s dominance.
The Milton Keynes-based squad has won all 12 races staged so far this year and currently holds a sizeable lead in both the Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championship.
Max Verstappen is en route to a third consecutive F1 title as he boasts a 125 point advantage over team-mate Sergio Perez.
Verstappen has taken the last eight race wins in F1 and is now just one victory away from matching Sebastian Vettel’s all-time consecutive win record.
Montoya heaped praise on the Dutchman, but asserts that the car has played a large part in his success this year.
“Right now [Verstappen] is doing a very good job, but he looks just as invincible as when Hamilton was winning everything, that’s the reality,” seven-time F1 grand prix winner told Semana.
“Max is a very good driver, but so far in the best car. Max’s speed right now is no better than Max’s speed two years ago, it’s probably the same. The car is much bigger.
“If you take Max out of that car, there are about seven or eight drivers who could be world champions in that car. If he were not there, but Checo, Hamilton, Sainz, Leclerc, they would be World Champion.”
Hamilton enjoyed monumental success with Mercedes from 2014 to 2020, but recently asserted that his team was never as fast as Red Bull is now.
However, Montoya countered that claim.
“It’s very cool to complain when you don’t win, but when Lewis won he said that the car didn’t give him any advantage. Actually, Mercedes’ advantage was as big as what Red Bull currently has,” he said.
“I don’t want to say that Hamilton isn’t good – on the contrary, he is a great driver. But the reality of this sport is that you have to be in the best car.”
