Juan Pablo Montoya has thrown his support towards Lewis Hamilton after a lacklustre season with Ferrari. The seven-time Formula 1 champion currently sits sixth in the Drivers’ standings after making the move to the Prancing Horse from Mercedes for 2025 – failing to secure a win or a podium thus far with just three Grand Prix left to make a mark in.

Poor performances have seemingly also got under the usually cool and composed F1 posterboy’s skin. After retiring from the Sao Paulo GP on Sunday on lap 37, the Englishman said: “This is a nightmare and I’ve been living it for a while. The flip between the dream of driving for this amazing team and then the nightmare of the results that we’ve had.”

As a result, the 40-year-old has found his position with the team cast into speculation by racing fans and pundits worldwide. Meanwhile, Ferrari president John Elkann recently told F1 drivers that they should “talk less,” seemingly in response to Hamilton’s critiques.

Speaking in Milan, he said: “They should focus on driving and talk less. We still have a few races left, and it’s not impossible to finish second.”

But Montoya believes that the team should be listening to Hamilton’s feedback to do better in future seasons, rather than dismissing his qualms. The Colombian, who competed for Mercedes and Williams between 2001 and 2006, said: “The sooner [Ferrari] listens to Hamilton about how to improve the car, the better it will be for the team in the long term. If you give Lewis the right tools and the right car, he becomes unstoppable.”

Not everyone is in agreement at present, however, with Ralf Schumacher even going as far as suggesting a replacement for Hamilton in Oliver Bearman. Speaking on the Backstage Boxengasse Podcast, the 50-year-old said: “With Lewis Hamilton, I simply believe that you have to see it this way. He makes a lot of mistakes, and his speed is OK, but not better than that.

“And now I see a young Bearman doing wonders with the Haas, and he costs a fraction of what Lewis Hamilton costs, who, I don’t know, earns high double-digit amounts. We’re talking about more than £60 million a year.

“And I don’t think A) Elkann can get that through anymore. That was his decision. Beyond the contract that you have, and B) I wouldn’t know if he’s not like that and says, ‘OK, it’s been a year now, Lewis Hamilton has kind of stayed put, he’s come a little closer, but the money, we’d rather give it to him, but we’d rather bring in a Bearman.’

“We have a young driver who is pushing for the brand; we can build something with the rule change for the future. That could happen, of course. So, I’m curious. It’s exciting. I mean, with such a high-profile personality, I expect more, and one thing must not be forgotten. If I were a manager now, I would also say, ‘Well, that’s not working, so I’d rather move on and build up a young, talented man like Bearman.'”