Juan Pablo Montoya has thrown his weight behind Fernando Alonso, insisting that the 45-year-old Spaniard is every bit as talented as Max Verstappen on his day. The Colombian legend believes the real difference comes down to the machinery, not the driver. Montoya's backing comes as Alonso languishes in a struggling Aston Martin during his remarkable 23rd season in F1, but there's hope on the horizon with Adrian Newey's recent upgrades starting to show promise.

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When asked about the Alonso he raced against in the early 2000s compared to today's version, Montoya noted a shift in mindset rather than talent. He explained that Alonso, like Lewis Hamilton, operates with different levels of commitment depending on the car's competitiveness. The thing is, when either driver's got a winning package underneath them, they're absolutely relentless. But if they're fighting for fifth place, the fire burns differently because they know the position won't change the championship picture.

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Here's where it gets interesting though. Montoya firmly believes that if Adrian Newey delivers a genuinely competitive chassis and Honda brings a strong power unit, we could see Fernando demonstrate his brilliance week in and week out. The Colombian was crystal clear about this, saying Fernando's best days match Verstappen's best days completely. The question mark isn't about single-lap performance but whether the Spaniard could sustain that intensity consistently with proper equipment, which he reckons is totally achievable.

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Montoya also touched on Alonso's incredible longevity at 45, but he's not buying into the narrative that it's particularly remarkable by today's standards. He pointed out that modern drivers benefit from better physical conditioning and significantly less testing work compared to his era. Back in the early 2000s, drivers were grinding through multiple test days weekly alongside simulator work and race weekends, which was absolutely brutal. These days, despite complaints about race frequency, the overall workload is actually much lighter, making it easier to keep competing at this age.

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