Montoya does not see Verstappen becoming F1 champion in 2025: 'It will be this driver'
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With a month and a half to go before the 2025 Formula 1 season gets underway, Juan Pablo Montoya looks ahead to what is to come. The former F1 driver thinks he can predict who will be world champion: he would put his money on McLaren driver Lando Norris.
Montoya does not predict Verstappen to be F1 champion in 2025
Looking at the main contenders for the title based on the previous season, Montoya suspects that Max Verstappen cannot defend his world title. "If I had to put all my money on the winner of the 2025 championship, I would put it on Lando. He matured at the end of last season and McLaren have the upper hand over the rest of the teams," he said in conversation with CasinoApps.
However, the battle within McLaren could also be decisive, the 49-year-old Colombian warns: "Oscar Piastri needs to out-qualify Norris a few times to boost his confidence. Norris has better race pace than Piastri, so if he can outperform Norris in qualifying and make the strategy of winning the race in his favour, it could get into Norris’ head and force him to make mistakes.”
Montoya warns Norris that despite being a favourite, he cannot afford to be complacent. "Norris has the best opportunity if McLaren continues to make the best car, but he cannot relax this season. If Lando relaxes and Oscar gets better, it can destroy Norris. He is the dominant driver at McLaren, he took a big step last season and if he didn’t, I think Oscar Piastri would have beaten him. If Norris gets comfortable, Piastri will run him over," Montoya concluded.
This article was written in collaboration with Norberto Mujica.
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