‘The feeling is mutual’ – Montoya claims Martin Brundle ‘never liked me’ after Sky F1 exchange

Roaming the pre-Canadian Grand Prix grid during his iconic ‘grid walk’ segment, Sky F1’s Martin Brundle came across Juan Pablo Montoya and could not resist bringing up the latter’s verbal clash with Max Verstappen.

Montoya recently claimed that Formula 1 should suspend drivers who criticise the F1 2026 rules, with Verstappen no exception. After a fierce Verstappen response, Brundle brought the situation up to Montoya on the Montreal grid. Montoya has claimed that Brundle “never liked me” and said he also has little time for the Sky F1 pundit.

Juan Pablo Montoya responds to Martin Brundle after Max Verstappen comments

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Over the Canadian GP race weekend, Verstappen issued a very blunt response when presented with Montoya’s “park him” comments by De Telegraaf.

Verstappen questioned why Formula 1 would associate itself with Montoya, the seven-time grand prix winner, who serves as an F1TV pundit.

Verstappen claimed that Montoya talks “rubbish” and does so to stay relevant.

Come race Sunday, Montoya crossed paths on the grid with Brundle, who was doing his grid walk on Sky F1.

Brundle told Montoya that he had upset the Verstappens. To that, Montoya replied: “Anything new there?”

Montoya has now hit out at Brundle in the aftermath.

Montoya is widely quoted as having told a gambling platform: “Martin Brundle, who has never liked me, and the feeling is mutual, got me on the grid.

“He said: ‘I see you have p***ed off Max’. I replied: ‘Nothing new there.'”

The situation can be traced back to Montoya’s appearance alongside Damon Hill on the Miami Grand Prix BBC Chequered Flag podcast.

Montoya claims that the “interview with the BBC was taken completely out of context,” and that he had “said that all the drivers who were talking sh*t about F1 should get penalty points or a ban for a race,” rather than singling out Verstappen, who he was asked about directly.

Montoya said that he and Verstappen actually exchange hellos at a race weekend and “get on really well.”

Indeed, Montoya’s version of events is correct. When he brought up the topic of drivers criticising the controversial F1 2026 regulations, he did refer to all drivers. He did not aim his point directly at Verstappen.

“You’ve got to respect the sport,” Montoya had said.

“For me, what the drivers were doing, I’m okay [with] you not liking the regulations, but the way you were speaking about what you’re living off and your own sport, there should be consequences for that.”

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It was actually Hill, the 1996 world champion, who interrupted with: “When you say consequences, like what? Fining Max for saying something negative.”

Only at that point, did Montoya utter the “park him” comment, and suggested Super Licence penalty points as a first line of deterrent for drivers criticising the rules.

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