Juan Pablo Montoya says Red Bull must ‘reconsider’ letting Max Verstappen race at the Nurburgring

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Juan Pablo Montoya has explained why Red Bull simply must ‘reconsider’ allowing Max Verstappen to race at the Nurburgring 24 Hours in May.

The most recent qualifiers for the Nurburgring 24 Hours were somewhat of a rollercoaster for Max Verstappen, who once again showcased his prowess at the wheel of GT3 machinery. His Mercedes GT3 car experienced technical issues on Sunday, which curtailed his final result.

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The race weekend was also hit by tragedy. During the early stages of Saturday’s race, a seven-car collision occurred at the Klostertal section, which tragically resulted in the passing of a GT3 veteran, Juha Miettinen.

As such, questions were raised over the safety of the Nurburgring’s competitors at the iconic Eifel-based circuit as the world of motorsport went into mourning.

• READ MORE: ‘Extraordinary’ Max Verstappen did something never seen before during NLS5 Nurburgring race

Juan Pablo Montoya explains why Red Bull must ‘reconsider’ letting Max Verstappen race GT3 cars

During a recent episode of AS Colombia’s F1 podcast with Juan Pablo Montoya, the former McLaren star gave his thoughts on Verstappen continuing to race at the ‘Green Hell’ following the events of the most recent qualifiers.

Montoya was initially asked if he thinks Red Bull will force Verstappen to take a back seat this year, to which he replied, “No, because they’re afraid of losing him.”

However, the Colombian has a differing opinion when it comes to what Red Bull should do. In that case, Montoya thinks the Austrian constructor’s top brass should absolutely ‘reconsider’ Verstappen’s extra-curricular activities.

He said, “An accident could happen where he breaks a leg, breaks an arm, or something like that, and all the money Red Bull has invested in him should be reason enough.

“They should say, ‘Look, we gave him the chance, but following this accident, we’re having a rethink, and we don’t think he should be allowed to race.’ Personally, if I were the boss of Red Bull, I would have called Max and said, ‘Look, please. You’re not getting back in the car.'”

“It’s something I think they need to reconsider. It’s like, for example, I was invited several times to drive rally cars, to do test drives and things like that, and I would have loved to drive them, but they never let me.

“There’s no risk of us letting him get behind the wheel of one of those cars. It’s an investment; you’re investing in the driver, but not only that, you’re making a huge investment in the driver and everything surrounding him.”

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Max Verstappen once again displayed his skill behind the wheel of a GT3 car during Sunday’s qualifier

Once the four-time world champion was able to get into the cockpit of his Verstappen Racing Mercedes-AMG on Sunday, he was a formidable opponent for his rivals.

In fact, Verstappen was banned from taking part in qualifying for his team because they feared how fast he was. Too quick a time may have seen his car hit with further balance-of-power (BoP) restrictions, so teammate Lucas Auer took the reins instead.

However, once the racing action began, the Dutchman quickly showcased his prowess. Starting from fifth on the grid, he surged into the lead by lap four, clearing the ‘grello’ Manthey Porsche and the pole-sitting Ferrari ahead of him.

He went on to build a gap at the front of the field of over 30 seconds before his car suffered damage to its front splitter, which was likely caused by one of the many kerbs on the 15.7-mile circuit.

Still, Verstappen and his team have qualified for the prestigious race next month, which takes place between the Miami and Montreal rounds of the F1 calendar.