Juan Pablo Montoya concedes £8.5m a year F1 driver he felt was ‘overrated’ is actually underappreciated

The 2025 F1 season is shaping up to be one of the most exciting in the sport’s recent history.

Lewis Hamilton’s shock move to Ferrari threw the driver market into chaos. There have been 10 driver transfers for the 2025 season, with six new full-time drivers joining the grid.

Max Verstappen is looking to become only the second driver after Michael Schumacher to win five consecutive titles this season. But the Dutchman will face competition from the likes of McLaren and Ferrari – who proved to have a faster package than Red Bull come the end of 2024.

Martin Brundle says Ferrari may have improved more than McLaren over the winter – a huge confidence boost for Hamilton who is searching for his record eighth title.

The Maranello outfit missed out on the constructors’ championship to McLaren by just 14 points last season. Ferrari will be looking to go one step further with Hamilton and Charles Leclerc on board in 2025.

A key reason for their improved form in 2024 was thanks to the performance of Carlos Sainz. The Spaniard grabbed two wins and nine podiums as he finished fifth in the standings.

Juan Pablo Montoya says Carlos Sainz is not appreciated enough after previously thinking he was ‘overrated’

Sainz knew he would be leaving Ferrari before he even stepped into the SF-24 for the 2024 season. After his sensational comeback win in Melbourne after being diagnosed with appendicitis made him the hottest free agent on the market.

After interest from Sauber/Audi, the 30-year-old opted to sign with Williams. Sainz has signed a £8.5m a year contract that runs until at least 2026 – with the options of 2027 and 2028.

READ MORE: Williams driver Carlos Sainz’s life outside F1 from full name, girlfriend and height

Last year with Sainz’s best season to date in F1 and he will be looking to carry his form into Williams – albeit it may be a slow start given they finished ninth in the standings in 2024.

For Juan Pablo Montoya, the Spaniard is underappreciated in F1. Speaking on the AS Colombia YouTube channel, the ex-Williams driver admitted he felt Sainz was ‘a little overrated’ but conceded he has done a ‘very good job’ in recent years.

“I think the number one is Carlos. Carlos Sainz is a driver who, at first I would have said was a little overrated. But over the years he has learned a lot and the last two years, this year, it’s a very, very good job.

“So, I think that could be a driver that people do not appreciate enough. I think the same thing happens a little bit with Russell.

“People don’t see him as a challenger, we never talk about Russell: ‘Oh, this year Russell is going to break it and he’s going to be world champion”.

Why James Vowles may be holding back Carlos Sainz ahead of his Williams debut

Williams certainly won the driver market in 2025 with the signing of Sainz. Partnering with Alex Albon, the Grove-based outfit have two leaders who can take the team to the next level.

Sainz has already impressed fans with his feedback to his engineers in testing in Abu Dhabi, giving detailed pointers to help his new team adapt the car to his needs. The 30-year-old’s impact is already being felt, with Williams engineers labelling Sainz’s arrival as ‘a blessing’.

Team boss James Vowles welcomed Sainz to the factory in Grove as the team began their preparations for the 2025 season. Williams have high hopes for the future and have taken huge strides forward off the track with strong recruitment within the organisation.

Ayao Komatsu admits Haas will not catch Williams if they reach their ‘full potential’. The Grove-based outfit are in the perfect position to do just that with Sainz and Albon in the team.

But Vowles has admitted he is holding back Sainz slightly due to concerns that the team are getting ‘carried away’ with where they could be in the future. Williams are talking the talk, but they will have to walk the walk and prove their worth on the track.