Montoya hopes Verstappen wins all races: "Great if he gags everyone"

Juan Pablo Montoya, in an interview with Vegas Insider, has given an extensive preview of the British Grand Prix, to be held at the Silverstone circuit next weekend. The Colombian again sees Max Verstappen as the big favorite, but expects plenty of excitement in the battle behind the Dutchman.

Montoya himself knows well what it takes to be competitive at Silverstone. The seven-time Grand Prix winner won in England in 2005 with his McLaren. "Silverstone is a difficult circuit because it is so fast," Montoya opened. "You would say Aston Martin is going to be very strong. The circuit seems to suit Aston Martin, and it's also their home race, so I'm sure they'll be motivated." Aston Martin did not have it too easy in Austria: Fernando Alonso needed a penalty from Carlos Sainz to be promoted from sixth to fifth place.

"I was a bit disappointed with Mercedes at the Red Bull Ring," continued the 47-year-old. "I don't know exactly if they had balance problems or what was going on. I've always been a fan of how Mercedes operates. Toto (Wolff, ed.) and his way of working and motivating the team is very good, I'm a fan of that. It's always fascinating to see him plodding and working and then seeing the situation improve. Silverstone is a tough circuit, but Mercedes should be able to perform better here."

Prediction for the podium

The former Indy 500 winner is willing to take a gamble himself, although he doesn't seem to think we're going to see a different pattern from previous races. "We do have to say that Max Verstappen is going to win," Montoya said of the Dutchman, who has won the past five Grands Prix. "In my opinion, it would be great if he wins all the races and gags everyone. That would be very cool!"

"The big question is what will happen to Checo Pérez. Does he recover and drive a good lap in qualifying? He is at the point where he should not try so hard anymore, because the car is fast enough. It's fine if you go through to Q3 sixth or seventh and are six tenths behind your teammate. Then in Q3 you make an effort and see where it ends up. He just needs to put in a banker lap that is good enough for the top five, and then he can give everything," Montoya advised. "Will he finish on the podium? I'm ninety percent sure he will. Whether he finishes second? I don't know that just yet. I rather see him finishing third, and then I expect one of the Ferraris in second place."