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Montoya on Verstappen: 'It would shut everybody up, would be pretty cool'
- GPblog.com
Juan Pablo Montoya expects Max Verstappen to climb the top step of the podium at the Silverstone circuit next Sunday for the sixth time in a row. The seven-time GP winner sees that nobody can make things difficult for Verstappen and therefore suspects it will remain a rather monotonous story the rest of the year.
"I think we have to say that Max Verstappen is going to win. I think it would be amazing if he is going to win all the races and it would shut everybody up and that would be pretty cool," Montoya interjected to Vegas Insider. Verstappen has already won seven of the nine GPs this season. The 2023 F1 season has 13 more weekends including Silverstone.
If the reigning world champion manages to win them all, it would be an absolute record. The current record already stands in the 25-year-old Dutchman's name, set last season. Then he picked up 15 wins in a season. Michael Schumacher (2004) and Sebastian Vettel (2013) are the joint numbers two with both having thirteen wins in a calendar year.
Can Perez catch up?
According to Montoya, how many more times Verstappen will win depends mainly on the form of Sergio Perez. Until the Mexican gets his qualifying in order, it will be very difficult to see Verstappen beaten. "Is Checo going to manage to get a lap in qualifying? It gets to a point where he needs to stop trying so hard because the car is fast enough.
Already four times in a row Perez missed Q3, although he did finish on the podium again at the Red Bull Ring after a long time, Montoya has another podium finish in mind for Checo in Britain. "I'm going to say 90% yes. Is he going to be second? I´m not so sure. I see him finishing at number three and then Ferrari, in my opinion, will most likely take the number two spot," he concludes.