Source:REUTERS/Go Nakamura
[Saba Sports News] Juan Pablo Montoya, a seven-time F1 race winner, believes Max Verstappen and Lando Norris’s recent derogatory remarks about F1’s new regulations are disrespectful to the sport, and that F1 should teach them a lesson. Since the new rules came into force this season, Verstappen and Norris have been among the most vocal drivers. The core change in these regulations is the power unit’s move toward greater electrification. The vast majority of drivers feel that—whether during the race or in a qualifying flying lap—the cars now require drivers to perform extensive power and energy management, which is at odds with F1’s traditional philosophy. Verstappen said the cars under the new rules are like “Mario Kart,” bluntly calling the sport “a joke.” Norris said that today’s F1 drivers are being forced to forget everything they learned throughout their single-seater careers. In an interview with Colombia’s AS, Montoya said F1 should follow the example of U.S. sports: people who disrespect the sport should either leave or be fined, so they will truly learn to respect the profession.
The columnist believes drivers have the right to express their views, but some criticisms have crossed the line. Mocking F1 and likening it to Mario Kart is not something F1’s authorities should tolerate.