Juan Pablo Montoya says £2.5m-a-year F1 driver can’t handle the pressure of having a fast teammate

Follow us on Google Discover

The best way to judge how fast a Formula 1 driver is by comparing them to their teammate.

Although teams may occasionally fit different parts to each of their cars, ultimately, it’s the only time two drivers have identical machinery.

Certain drivers, such as Max Verstappen at Red Bull, have proved their dominance over multiple teammates over recent years.

The likes of Pierre Gasly, Alex Albon and now Sergio Perez have all failed to live up to expectations alongside the triple-world champion.

Ferrari chose to continue with Charles Leclerc over Carlos Sainz due to their head-to-head battle when they learned that Lewis Hamilton was available.

It means the pressure is on during every race weekend even if wins, podiums or even points aren’t available.

Juan Pablo Montoya was speaking on W Radio’s YouTube channel about one driver that he believes can’t deal with having a quick teammate.

Williams are in an interesting position right now, knowing that they’ve got Albon and Carlos Sainz lining up alongside each other in 2025.

However, that leaves Franco Colapinto without a race seat and Montoya now thinks Albon might not be able to cope with having a quick teammate alongside him in Formula 1.

Juan Pablo Montoya doubts Alex Albon’s ability when racing a fast teammate

Albon recently passed 100 Grand Prix starts, although he failed to take the grid at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix after crashing during qualifying.

It was another disappointing weekend for the Thai driver who has only scored points twice in the past nine Grand Prix.

Williams haven’t been particularly competitive this year, but Colapinto’s arrival has highlighted just how far off the pace the £2.5m-a-year driver’s previous teammates Nicholas Latifi and Logan Sargeant were.

READ MORE: Williams driver Alex Albon’s life outside F1 from net worth, girlfriend to parents

Talking about the situation at the Grove-based team, Montoya said: “A rookie against Albon is hard but it is possible and Albon looks…every time he is under pressure.

“Every time he has had a fast partner, he has made a mistake and he has crashed and he has done everything and he continues to do it.”

How Alex Albon has fared against each of his Formula 1 teammates

Albon started his F1 career in 2019 at Toro Rosso, joining Daniil Kvyat before being promoted to the senior Red Bull team in place of Pierre Gasly.

That meant joining Verstappen in a team aiming to topple Mercedes and Ferrari every race, putting a lot of pressure on a driver who had only taken part in 12 Grand Prix.

Albon spoke about the difficulties he had when competing with Verstappen and by the end of the 2020 season, he was replaced by Perez.

After a year out of the sport, Albon was hired by Williams for 2022 alongside Latifi in a car that comfortably finished last in the Constructors’ Championship.

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Williams Racing from team principal to Mercedes relationship

Latifi was replaced by Sargeant the following season and again Albon was the clear number one at Williams before he too lost his place in F1 after this season’s Dutch Grand Prix.

Albon has been pushed much harder by Colapinto and Montoya thinks Williams could even find a seat for Colapinto next year if they end up doing a deal with Red Bull for another driver.