Juan Pablo Montoya appreciates Franco Colapinto's "assertive" style even after the incident in Baku.
Former Formula 1 racer Juan Pablo Montoya has come to the defense of Franco Colapinto's "aggressive" style following a significant multi-car incident at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
Colapinto caused a pile-up at Turn 1 during a safety car restart at the Baku City Circuit. Misjudging his braking point, the Argentine driver locked up and collided with his Alpine teammate Pierre Gasly, leading to Gasly crashing into Lando Norris. All three competitors were compelled to retire from the grand prix.
While Colapinto expressed his remorse right after the race and acknowledged that he was "completely out of control," the incident garnered criticism from the other affected drivers. However, during F1 TV's post-race analysis, Montoya offered a contrasting perspective on the crash, commending Colapinto's tactics.
"I think he anticipated that everyone would be aggressive as well. The issue arises when you're so far behind; it creates a traffic jam," the Colombian elaborated. "Everyone starts to ease off. You can see he brakes and is about to hit someone."
"So he maneuvers to the inside and nearly brings the car to a stop. He erred and collided with his teammate, and he also took Lando out. It was a mistake, but it was very close."
Franco Colapinto, Alpine, Lando Norris, McLaren
He continued: "The challenge in that scenario is being aggressive; you spot an opening, and I respect those who take that chance. A restart is viewed as an opportunity by some. While others think, 'I don't want to lose my position,' Franco is the one who wants to seize it.
"When you're consistently the driver, like Max Verstappen, who identifies an opportunity, mistakes are inevitable."
Colapinto currently stands 12th in the drivers' championship with 27 points, while Gasly is in 10th with 41 points.
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