With a month and a half to go before the 2025 Formula 1 World Championship season, Juan Pablo Montoya has offered his first virtual 'grid walk' of the year, delivering bold predictions on the drivers set to line up on the grid for the season-opening Australian Grand Prix on 15 March at Albert Park, Melbourne.
Assessing the leading contenders for the title, Montoya backed McLaren’s Lando Norris to emerge as world champion: "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."
However the battle within McLaren could also prove decisive, warns Montoya: "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."
He stressed that Norris could not 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," reckoned Monty.
He also weighed in on George Russell’s title aspirations at Mercedes: "Russell has the speed to win a title, but I think he's too nice on the track. People need to look at him a little differently. You think of Russell as a nice guy, and that's not the reputation he wants."
Russell versus Antonelli dynamic will be interesting
Montoya also suggested the dynamic between Russell and rookie Kimi Antonelli could shift: "The friendship between George Russell and Kimi Antonelli will be very friendly at the beginning, but if Antonelli starts off quickly, that friendship could deteriorate quickly. But Russell will start off as the dominant driver of the two."
Montoya warned that Antonelli could face early struggles in his rookie season: "It’s going to be hard for Kimi Antonelli to live up to the hype. It's going to be really hard. He’s got enough speed to be really, really good, but with speed, accidents can happen. There’s always talk that he had lots of crashes in the old cars.
"I think he’s fully committed to it, and I think if Kimi can control his emotions, understanding it might take time to perform, he is going to be okay. If he wants to come out and race and beat everyone, it can backfire really quickly. If someone can pull his reins and steady him—'slow down, tiger'—he has time where he doesn’t need to put himself into bad situations."
Montoya, however, acknowledged that reigning champion Max Verstappen remained a strong contender if Red Bull could maintain their level of competitiveness: "If Red Bull can deliver Verstappen a good car, then he can keep bringing good results for the team throughout the season.
"Verstappen is so used to having the upper hand, so he will need to learn how to control his anger and finish races in a worse car. Verstappen is the dominant driver at Red Bull and Liam Lawson will try to find his feet. I think Lawson will play nice as the number two driver, but when he finds some pace, he will push Verstappen."
Montoya: Verstappen is the closest driver to what Senna was
"Max Verstappen is probably the closest driver to what Ayrton Senna was, where you see the aggression and his ability behind the wheel," stated Montoya.
Turning to Ferrari, the 53-year-old Colombian suggested that Lewis Hamilton's championship hopes depended on the Scuderia’s ability to provide him with a competitive car: "Hamilton's chances of winning the championship will depend on how comfortable he is and how good of a car Ferrari can produce," he said. "It would be a hell of a story if he wins it."
Montoya also noted that Charles Leclerc would need to play the season smartly to assert himself within the team: "If Charles plays the season smartly, plays nice with Hamilton but keeps outperforming him, then the whole of Ferrari will support Leclerc.
"Charles Leclerc is managed by politically smart people and I think they will keep telling him to play the long-term game. That’s very important. If Leclerc plays the long-term game and knows that Lewis Hamilton won't be at Ferrari forever, he'll need to have the team’s support until then," explained Montoya.
At Aston Martin, Montoya believed Fernando Alonso would maintain control over Daddy's boy Lance Stroll: "If the Aston Martin car is competitive, Fernando Alonso will control everything within the team. If the car isn't winning races, then I think Alonso and Lance Stroll will work together to make the best out of what they have."
Williams revival to continue?
Montoya sees Williams making a leap forward this season while Aston Martin shifts focus to 2026: "I believe Aston Martin will put all their eggs in the 2026 basket. They'll make some steps for the 2025 season, but I think their main focus is 2026.
"Carlos Sainz will 100 per cent dominate Williams, and that will create some problems for Alex Albon. It’s a shame Sainz has improved teams in the past and since been removed, he did a very good job at Ferrari. Williams will be the biggest surprise of 2025. Alex Albon and Franco Colapinto did not end the season perfectly, but with Carlos Sainz, they can perform better."
Montoya also made predictions on Alpine and Sauber: "Pierre Gasly was really good at the end of last season and consolidated himself as the number one driver at Alpine, whether his teammate is Franco Colapinto or Jack Doohan.
"Nico Hulkenberg will be the main face of Sauber, but Gabriel Bortoleto will become the dominant driver as the season progresses," is what Montoya sees in his crystal ball.
While Antonelli is the most anticipated debutant, Montoya sees Isack Hadjar as the one to follow: "Antonelli should be the rookie that impresses the most, but I think Hadjar will be the one to watch this season. He’s the most complete rookie.
"Hadjar has been consistently good throughout his career. I see Hadjar as the next Oscar Piastri. If I was at Red Bull, I would have put Hadjar in the seat rather than Lawson. Hadjar would have been easier to manage and a better teammate to Verstappen," concluded Montoya, a seven-time Grand Prix winner during his six seasons in Formula 1.
(Quotes supplied by CasinoApps Media Team)
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