Montoya suspects it is a calculated ploy – The former Formula 1 driver has suggested that the rumours surrounding Oscar Piastri’s possible departure from McLaren might not be as spontaneous as they appear. According to the Colombian driver, there could be a strategic motive behind the speculation, with Red Bull Racing being a potential source of the rumours.
Montoya drew parallels with similar tactics seen in the sport before, pointing out how key figures sometimes use media speculation to unsettle rival teams.
“It’s similar to what Toto Wolff did with Max Verstappen,” he said, referring to the Mercedes team principal’s previous attempts to cast uncertainty over Verstappen’s future with Red Bull.
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Tensions are rising at McLaren
Since the incident between Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri during the Singapore Grand Prix, there has been scrutiny of the tension within McLaren.
The two drivers made contact during the race, with Piastri expressing his frustration over the team radio while Norris played down the incident, stating that anyone questioning his manoeuvre “doesn’t belong in Formula 1”.
This disagreement has sparked speculation that all might not be well inside McLaren’s garage. Reports soon began to circulate suggesting that Piastri could be exploring opportunities elsewhere, including a possible move to Ferrari. However, Montoya has urged caution, suggesting that not all of these reports should be taken at face value.
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A rumour with hidden motives?
Montoya believes the Piastri rumours could have been manufactured for a reason.
“The big question is whether it’s just people making up stories,” he said,
“At the end of the day, it’s a great way to cause unrest and create problems for McLaren.”
The former driver explained that such tactics are not uncommon in Formula 1, where psychological warfare often plays as big a role as on-track battles.
“It’s a bit like what Toto Wolff did with Max Verstappen. Did he really stand a chance of signing Max? Who knows. But it did make the headlines,” said Montoya.
By drawing attention to Piastri’s future, rival teams could create internal pressure for McLaren, forcing the team to deal with distractions and speculation rather than focusing fully on performance. For Montoya, this kind of disruption can be as effective as any technical upgrade in shifting the competitive balance.
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Red Bull’s possible involvement
According to Montoya, Red Bull could be particularly interested in causing unrest at McLaren, given how competitive the Woking-based team has become in recent seasons. McLaren’s resurgence has made them a direct threat to Red Bull’s dominance, and creating uncertainty around Piastri could theoretically disrupt that progress.
“The story about Piastri and Ferrari could easily have come from Red Bull, for example,” said Montoya. “Someone there may have thought: this is a great way to destabilise McLaren.”
While there is no evidence to suggest that Red Bull is behind the rumours, Montoya’s comments highlight the role that strategic misinformation can play in Formula 1’s off-track drama. The sport has a long history of rumour-driven mind games, where leaks, hints and speculative reports are used to unsettle opponents or test the loyalty of drivers and teams.
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The focus must be on performance
For McLaren, the priority will be to maintain internal harmony and prevent speculation from becoming a distraction. The partnership between Norris and Piastri is one of the most competitive on the grid, and the team’s recent progress has established them as consistent front-runners.
As the Formula 1 season progresses, how McLaren manages the dynamic between its two drivers, and how it handles external noise, could be pivotal in maintaining their upward trajectory. Montoya’s reminder serves as a cautionary tale: in Formula 1, not all rumours are innocent, and sometimes the loudest whispers come from those with the most to gain.
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With Lewis Hamilton’s signature captured and the seven times world Formula One champion driver joining the Ferrari team in 2025, hopes were high for a marriage made in heaven. Having suffered the ignominy of sixteen long years without winning either F1 title, the iconic Italian squad is staring down the barrel of a record length of drought without championship glory the year.
Hamilton’s move to Maranello was also one which sought redemption for the British driver, who since being defeated in spectacular fashion by Max Verstappen on the last lap of the last race in 2021 had suffered his worst run in the sport.
With just two race wins in almost four years, Hamilton is facing up to the fact he is unlikely to even make the podium this year as Ferrari’s fortunes have collapsed. The biggest mistake the senior management made was by choosing to build an all new car for 2025 during the last year of a set of FIA design regulations
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The SF-24 was a very good machine which saw Charles Leclerc score more points than any other driver following the 2024 summer break. The team too overhauled a 79 point deficit following the Singapore Grand Prix falling short of the constructor’s title in Abu Dhabi by just 14 points to McLaren.
Fred Vasseur announced to the Italian media at the Maranello festive bash that for 2025, “The car will be completely new; I think we’ll have less than 1% of the parts in common with the 2024 car.” This writer penned at the time this appeared to…READ MORE ON THIS STORY
A Brazilian motorsport writer with a background in sports journalism and broadcast reporting, Treze brings cultural insight and on-the-ground knowledge of South American racing. With credentials in communications and journalism, Treze connects today’s Formula 1 with the enduring legacy of Ayrton Senna.