Juan Pablo Montoya has urged Red Bull to resist the temptation of a quick fix and keep faith with Liam Lawson for next week’s inaugural Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid, warning that rushing Isack Hadjar back from injury would be a mistake.
Lawson stakes his claim
Lawson was drafted in at the eleventh hour for the Dutch Grand Prix after Hadjar damaged his wrist during the summer break. The reshuffle pushed reserve driver Yuki Tsunoda into Lawson’s usual Racing Bulls seat alongside Arvid Lindblad, while the New Zealander was thrown straight into the deep end at Red Bull.
He barely had time to breathe. One practice session, a new role, a front-running car, and the benchmark of Max Verstappen on the other side of the garage.
Lawson didn’t flinch.
He ran Verstappen close in qualifying, then converted that pace into a composed drive to seventh place and six valuable points. No drama, no major errors, just clean, efficient racing under pressure.
That performance has bought him more time. Lawson continues in the car at this weekend’s Italian Grand Prix at Monza, and Montoya believes Red Bull would be foolish to stop there.
Montoya’s warning: “Let’s be smart”
Speaking on F1 TV’s Weekend Warm-Up, the former F1 race winner praised both stand-ins, but his message to Red Bull was clear: don’t rush Hadjar.
“Yuki showed the pace he had in the race, passing people, the aggression. I think everything that you wanted to see out of a driver,” Montoya said, highlighting Tsunoda’s display in Lawson’s usual Racing Bulls seat. “If you're looking for drivers in F1, he delivered. He did the job. He didn't make mistakes. He didn't put a wheel wrong, and it was really good to see.”
Then he turned to Lawson, and to Madrid.
“With Liam, if I were Red Bull, especially going into Madrid next week, I would go, ‘Hey, let's be smart. We're going to get a couple more weeks of recovery, and we'll prepare Liam properly for Madrid because it's a new track for everybody.’”
That’s the crux of Montoya’s argument. Madring is an unknown. Nobody has a bank of data, no one has a comfort zone there. In that context, continuity and a fully fit line-up matter more than sentiment or haste.
A tight internal battle
Behind the strategic debate sits a quietly fascinating points picture.
Lawson, despite his late call-up and limited preparation, sits ninth in the drivers’ standings with 49 points. Hadjar, the man he is temporarily replacing, holds eighth with 68 points. Verstappen, the established team leader, is sixth on 112 points.
All of them, though, are chasing a very distant target. Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli heads the championship on 242 points, well clear of the pack and setting the standard for consistency that every rival outfit is trying to match.
Red Bull’s choices over the next few weeks will dictate how hard they can realistically push in that chase. A half-fit Hadjar thrown back into the cockpit too early would carry risk. Lawson, already sharp from back-to-back race weekends and growing in confidence, offers stability at a critical moment.
New track, big decision
The Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid, running from 11–13 September, will mark the first time the grid rolls out at the new Madring circuit. New layout, new braking points, new margins to find — and lose.
On fresh asphalt, with no historical comfort and no established pecking order, Red Bull must decide whether to lean into Lawson’s momentum or gamble on Hadjar’s swift return.
Montoya has nailed his colours to the mast. The question now is whether Red Bull will listen.
