Montoya compares Colapinto’s Baku restart approach with Verstappen’s
Juan Pablo Montoya admires Franco Colapinto’s willingness to attack at the Baku restart, but accepts Colapinto made a mistake in a collision that ended three drivers’ races.
Colapinto hit Alpine team-mate Pierre Gasly at the restart in Baku, and Gasly then struck McLaren’s Lando Norris. All three retired. Colapinto acknowledged his mistake and apologised.
Montoya, a former Formula 1 and IndyCar driver, discussed the collision on F1 TV. RacingNews365 presents his comments as a defence of Colapinto, while Motorsport.com en Español emphasises his admiration for drivers who treat a restart as a chance to gain ground. Montoya compared that approach with Max Verstappen’s, saying drivers who keep looking for opportunities will sometimes make mistakes. He thought the cars ahead appeared to brake early, but accepted that Colapinto got the move wrong. Both publications report the same F1 TV appearance.
The stewards found Colapinto wholly or predominantly responsible, ruling that he braked too late for Turn 1 to make the corner under control. Because he had retired, his ten-second penalty became a five-place grid drop at the next race in which he participates.
Sources 03
- SOURCEMontoya verdedigt Colapinto met verwijzing naar VerstappenRacingNews365 Nederland · Source date as found: 2026-09-28
- SOURCEMontoya explica por qué "admira" el intento de Colapinto en Bakú y lo compara con VerstappenMotorsport.com en Español · Source date as found: 2026-09-26
- SOURCEFranco Colapinto penalty revealed for causing Baku F1 pile-upMotorsport.com · Source date as found: 2026-09-26
This article was produced with AI assistance. Source references make its supporting evidence traceable.
Source context
RacingNews365 and Motorsport.com en Español relay Montoya’s F1 TV comments; Motorsport.com quotes the stewards’ ruling.