Juan Pablo Montoya thinks Max Verstappen experienced a bit of a shift in perspective when it comes to George Russell after their nail-biting battle at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. The two have been at each other's throats for years now, with plenty of on-track drama and off-track tension between them. So when Verstappen actually had some genuine praise for Russell following Baku, Montoya found it pretty refreshing and genuinely interesting.

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Russell absolutely dominated most of the Azerbaijan GP, controlling the race from the front while Verstappen picked his moments. Two safety car periods gave the Red Bull driver chances to get stuck in though, and by the end they were trading paint down the closing stages. In the end, Russell held on by just 0.196 seconds, one of the tightest finishes in ages. After the checkered flag, Verstappen was full of compliments, acknowledging that Russell's pace was genuinely quick and suggesting he would've struggled to pass even with a better grid slot.

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What really caught Montoya's eye was how out of character all this was for Max. The Dutch driver rarely dishes out that kind of respect to Russell, especially compared to how he talks about Andrea Kimi Antonelli or other drivers he genuinely clicks with. Montoya reckoned this was the first time Verstappen's actually seen Russell from a different angle, maybe recognizing him as a proper competitor worthy of respect rather than just a rival to wind up.

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The whole Verstappen and Russell saga kicked off properly back at Qatar 2024, when Max felt George had lobbied the stewards for a penalty. Things escalated into accusations about threatening behavior and they've clashed multiple times since, including that controversial incident at the 2025 Spanish Grand Prix. But after Baku, something seemed to shift. Maybe all those battles are finally earning Russell some genuine respect from Max, even if they'll probably keep butting heads on track.

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