Juan Pablo Montoya Delivers Crucial Advice To Aspiring Drivers As His Son Sets Sights On F1

May 29, 2022; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; IndyCar Series driver Juan Pablo Montoya during the running of the 106th Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Former F1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya offers valuable advice to young racing aspirants aiming for a career in open-wheel motorsport, urging them to focus on Europe for their development. At 48, with experience in Formula One, IndyCar, NASCAR, etc., Montoya is well-positioned to guide the next generation of drivers.

With seven Grand Prix victories to his name, Montoya boasts an impressive CV, including the 1999 CART Drivers' Championship, victories at the Indianapolis 500 in 2000 and 2015, three wins at the 24 Hours of Daytona in 2007, 2008, and 2013, and the IMSA SportsCar Championship title in 2019.

Montoya made his Formula One debut with the Williams team in the 2001 season, securing his first victory at the Italian Grand Prix that year. He went on to achieve seven pole positions in the 2002 championship and won two races in 2003, finishing third in the World Drivers' Championship in both seasons.

Drawing from his extensive racing experience, Montoya recommended Europe as the ideal place for aspiring drivers to develop their careers. He emphasized that Europe's racing culture is so well-established and mature that if a driver can succeed there, they can compete anywhere in the world. He told GPBlog.com:

"If you want to do open wheel anywhere in the world, it's important to come through Europe. I think the maturity and the level is a lot higher and if you can run well here and be competitive, it means you can run well anywhere."

Montoya's 19-year-old son, Sebastian, dreams of reaching Formula 1, and he's pursuing that goal by starting in Formula 3. The Miami-born Colombian-American began competing in the series this year, a deliberate decision, according to his father. He added:

"There's two options. You either perform really well and you got an opportunity in F1 or you don't perform enough and you have to look at something else."

However, the road to Formula 1 is far from easy, given the fierce competition in Europe, making a seat in the premier class of motorsport anything but certain. Montoya has laid out a pragmatic path for his son, advising him to explore other racing opportunities if F1 doesn't pan out. He explained:

"Even if you perform really well, and the opportunity is not there then you have to look at something else. At some point that decision is going to be made. It's either going to be made by us or by somebody else. Somebody is going to come to us and offer something, and then that decision is going to be kind of self-made."