Montoya Defends Current F1 Engines, Dismisses V8 Return as 'Boring'

Juan Pablo Montoya has firmly rejected growing calls for Formula 1 to return to V8 engines, defending the current power unit regulations as more strategic and competitive than the era he raced in. The seven-time Grand Prix winner argues the hybrid era's energy management adds a layer of driver skill that was missing when DRS alone decided passes.

Why it matters:

The debate over engine regulations is shaping F1's future, with FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem hinting at a potential V8 return by 2030. Montoya's voice adds weight to the counterargument, reminding fans and decision-makers that nostalgia often glosses over the actual on-track product of past eras.

The details:

• Strategic depth: Montoya praised the current regulations for introducing energy deployment and recharge modes, which allow drivers to fight back against an overtaking car. “If you see the guy’s going to pass you, you can get into recharge mode earlier, then you have a little bit more extra energy for the next straight,” he said on the BBC Chequered Flag podcast.
• DRS criticism: He compared the old DRS-assisted overtakes unfavorably. “With the DRS, I always felt like you were a sitting duck. A second off… the guy blew by you, and they go, ‘What an overtake!’ He didn’t do anything. He was just sitting there.”
• V8 era was dull: Montoya bluntly recalled his own time in F1. “People say, ‘Oh, your time was so good,’ I say, ‘Watch a race, it’s so boring. Even for us. It was sometimes like a short test session.’”
• Support for V8 return: Despite Montoya's opposition, several team principals – including Toto Wolff and Laurent Mekies – have backed the idea of reverting to simpler, louder engines, arguing it could cut costs and improve the show.

What's next:

The engine debate will intensify as the FIA weighs options for the post-2026 regulations. Montoya's candid assessment challenges the romanticized view of the V8 era, but the sport's commercial and engineering interests may still push toward a change. With the 2026 power unit rules already finalized (featuring increased electrical power and sustainable fuels), any further shift would require significant consensus among stakeholders.

• Montoya also separately called for sanctions on Max Verstappen for criticizing current regulations – a sign the Colombian sees the hybrid era as crucial to F1's identity.
• The next formal decision point is expected in late 2025, but momentum for a V8 return remains real.