Juan Pablo Montoya says Aston Martin must find the ‘snitch’ who’s leaking damaging information

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Aston Martin must find out who is behind a series of damaging leaks to the press and terminate their employment, Juan Pablo Montoya says. Aston Martin are currently F1’s crisis team after a disastrous start to their partnership with Honda.

Before the Australian Grand Prix, it was reported that Aston Martin were already planning to retire. Neither car completed the full race distance, with Fernando Alonso managing 21 laps out of 58 and Lance Stroll hitting 43.

Based on a report late last month, a ‘toxic blame culture’ has emerged at Aston Martin. Honda have been labelled responsible for the team’s woes despite rumblings of gearbox and chassis issues.

Higher or lower: Aston Martin will complete 20 laps in the Chinese Grand Prix before their first retirement

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Juan Pablo Montoya says Aston Martin whistleblower ‘shouldn’t be on the team’

Speaking to AS Colombia last week, Montoya said the leaks were restricting Aston Martin. He wonders if they changed their initial plan to retire early.

Some of the most alarming statements have come from team principal Adrian Newey himself, who said that the drivers couldn’t complete more than 25 continuous laps without risking permanent nerve damage due to vibrations in the engine.

He also described Honda’s battery shortage as ‘dangerous’, which may have been a ploy to push for a cost-cap exemption.

• READ MORE: F1 doctors may ‘recommend’ that Fernando Alonso retires amid intense neck pain at Aston Martin

Montoya said: “They could have started the race without telling anyone, then after two laps, told the drivers, ‘Stop, we have problems.’

“When everyone is already expecting you to stop, stopping looks horrible. As a sponsor of a team, bringing guests to see the cars, what are you going to tell them? It’s more delicate than people think.

“They need to find out who the snitch was. That person shouldn’t be on the team.”

Adrian Newey’s Aston Martin design is ‘spectacular’, Juan Pablo Montoya says

Montoya says all of Aston Martin’s problems stem from the aforementioned vibrations. He remains optimistic about the AMR26 based on its ‘super impressive design’.

There was a brief crossover between Montoya and Newey at McLaren in 2005. The Colombian drove the last car that Newey designed before his move to Red Bull.

“One thing is causing a cascade of horrible problems,” Montoya explained. “Now that they understand it, they obviously have to fix it.

“When they solve it, it will be interesting to see how competitive they are. If you look at the car, the Aston is super impressive. The things Adrian did, where he put the suspension, the details of the car are always spectacular.”

A short-term fix is unlikely. One former engine customer says Honda will need two years to be truly competitive.