Montoya against replacing Pérez: "Verstappen is under zero pressure whatsoever right now"

Juan Pablo Montoya believes it would be unwise to replace Sergio Pérez in the near future. The former Formula 1 driver sees that it's working well with Max Verstappen, as the two-time world champion can do whatever he wants since he's not under any pressure. However, a driver swap may be important in a few years' time, when Verstappen may need someone alongside him who pushes him to the limit.

Daniel Ricciardo is already being mentioned as a possible replacement for Pérez. The Mexican driver is going through a rough phase, but Montoya believes it wouldn't be wise to make a quick driver swap at Red Bull. "There is no reason to put another driver in instead of Pérez. There is no reason to take a risk that could disrupt the relationship," says the former driver at VegasInsider. "Having Checo as a teammate gives a very pleasant atmosphere because Max is not under any pressure."

"Maybe in a few years, two or three years, they will need to change and find someone else because Max will go through a certain phase, and that is normal," Montoya continues. The Colombian believes that Verstappen may become too complacent. At that point, the Dutchman will need another driver alongside him to wake him up. "He will still be great, but he's going to change a bit. At that point, somebody may need to come in with a lot more hunger to get the job done and that's a part of the deal."

"Marko puts pressure on you so that you perform"

With Ricciardo's arrival at AlphaTauri, speculation has arisen that the pressure on Pérez is intentionally being increased. However, Helmut Marko does not see it as a form of threat. "The way Helmut works with stuff like this, he's not putting pressure because he wants to fire you but he puts pressure on you so that you perform. He's looking to get the most out of you. He's not patting you on the back and saying 'you're the best, you can do it.' No, he says, 'pick yourself up or you're out,'" Montoya said.