Juan Pablo Montoya says Mercedes will ‘ruin’ Ferrari’s season by lobbying the FIA on race starts

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Despite having an overwhelming advantage in all aspects over Ferrari, Juan Pablo Montoya expects Mercedes to try and take away the one strength Ferrari have over them this season.

Mercedes got off to a flying start this season, with the first two races and the sprint all ending in a one-two for the team.

George Russell has managed to win the Australian Grand Prix and Chinese sprint race, while Kimi Antonelli won his maiden Grand Prix in Shanghai.

The plaudits go to Kimi Antonelli, but who else in the top 10 impressed you at the Chinese Grand Prix?

Let us know in the comments below!

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While Mercedes have looked dominant in the first two weekends of the season, they have faced some significant challenges from Ferrari.

Ferrari holds one major advantage over Mercedes: their starts. Ferrari’s smaller turbo lets them speed past rivals at the start of a race. But Mercedes could try and get that taken away.

READ MORE: Mercedes’ start to 2026 F1 season proves why Toto Wolff needs to give up on signing Max Verstappen

Juan Pablo Montoya believes Mercedes want to take Ferrari’s start advantage away

Speaking to RacingNews 365, former F1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya spoke about the new F1 regulations and how teams are reacting to them.

Montoya noted that teams are already working towards eliminating all disadvantages they face, specifically pointing to Mercedes, who are lobbying hard against the current starting procedure that Ferrari have benefitted from.

“If you don’t like something and it’s a disadvantage to you, you’re trying to look for a way to ruin it for everyone else. That’s pretty normal.”

“Look at Mercedes, for example. Why do they complain about the fact that the starts are unsafe? And why does Carlos Sainz do that too, while Ferrari says that the starts are perfect? That’s just how it goes in Formula 1. You have to complain and whine.”

Mercedes are far from the only team lobbying against the new starting procedure. In fact, Ferrari are key lobbyists in favour of the start procedure.

READ MORE: Ralf Schumacher thinks George Russell is now reliving his biggest issue from his time at Williams

You’re the FIA: What’s the first thing you would change in the 2026 regulations?

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Ferrari face uphill battle against Mercedes in title race

As things stand, Ferrari find themselves 31 points behind Mercedes, who are leading the constructors’ championship race with 98 points.

There is optimism within Ferrari that they can compete with Mercedes as the season goes on, especially with the upgrades they’re hoping to make.

However, not everyone shares this sentiment, as some within the Ferrari factory have given up on battling Mercedes after taking a closer look at race data.

There’s no doubt Mercedes’ advantage has been overwhelming so far. But the season is long, and Ferrari, or another team, could close the gap sooner than fans might expect.