Former F1 race winner Juan Pablo Montoya expresses hope that championship leader Max Verstappen can silence the critics by achieving a remarkable feat: winning every remaining race this season.
With seven victories in the opening nine races, Verstappen has built an impressive 81-point lead over his Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez, putting him in a commanding position to secure his third consecutive Drivers’ crown.
Throughout its 72-year history, no team has managed to win every single race in a season, although McLaren came close in 1988, triumphing in all but one race.
Red Bull’s remarkable dominance over the competition and Verstappen’s unwavering form has fueled speculation that this elusive perfect season could become a reality for the Milton Keynes-based team in 2023.
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Providing an exclusive preview for VegasInsider, esteemed former Williams and McLaren driver, Montoya, delves into the thrilling anticipation surrounding the upcoming 74th edition of the British Grand Prix.
“I think we have to say that Max Verstappen is going to win. It would be amazing if he is going to win all the races and shut everybody up, that would be pretty cool,” said the Colombian.
“The number one question mark is, what will happen with Checo? Is Checo going to pull it together and get a lap in qualifying?
“It gets to a point where he needs to stop trying so hard because the car is fast enough. It’s ok if you make it to Q3 being sixth or seventh and being six-tenths off your teammate and then in Q3, you try and see what happens.
“He just needs to see what happens, put a banker lap in for the top five and then give it his all.
“Is he going to finish on the podium? I’m going to say 90 percent yes. Is he going to be second? I’m not so sure. I see him finishing third and then Ferrari, in my opinion, will most likely take the number two spot.”
While acknowledging Red Bull’s formidable performance, he highlights the favourable conditions Silverstone offers for teams like Aston Martin and the skilful Fernando Alonso, who excel in harnessing a strong mechanical grip to gain an edge on the track.
“Silverstone is tricky because it’s a really fast track. You would think that Aston Martin will be really strong.
“They seem to have a lot of mechanical corner grip and slow corner grip. So, from that point of view, it would be an Aston type of track.”
“It is their home grand prix as well so I’m sure they want to run well.”
