Juan Pablo Montoya does not mince his words: the changes coming into force from the Miami Grand Prix are set to shift the competitive balance that previously favoured Ferrari at race starts.
Some call them “necessary technical adjustments,” while others call them by their real name. Juan Pablo Montoya clearly belongs to the second group. The former Formula 1 driver, known for his blunt honesty, has taken aim at the new power unit regulations that will be introduced from the Miami Grand Prix (see the schedule) and has said openly what many in the paddock are likely thinking but are reluctant to admit: these rules benefit Mercedes and take away an advantage from Ferrari.
This is not a provocative or biased interpretation. It is an analysis based on on-track data from this season, and it leads directly into the political consequences of a regulatory package that the FIA, FOM, teams, and drivers have collectively agreed upon and presented publicly as a safety intervention. Which is true — but only partially.
The safety issue: real, but not the only reason
The starting point — the official one — is legitimate. Race starts in the 2026 season have proven to be a critical safety concern. The most striking incident occurred in Australia at the opening Grand Prix: Franco Colapinto narrowly avoided what could have been a serious accident thanks to his reflexes, after Liam Lawson, positioned directly ahead of him, remained almost stationary on the grid while the rest of the field launched away. It was a heart-stopping moment that prompted an accelerated response from the FIA.
The technical response has now been defined. From the Miami International Autodrome onwards, cars that struggle at the start will receive an additional energy boost: the MGU-K electric deployment will be released earlier to guarantee a faster and more predictable launch.
In theory, this should significantly reduce the risk of a car remaining stationary on the grid while others approach at full speed from behind.
The stated goal is also another one: to make overtakes less artificial and to bring qualifying laps closer to the absolute limit of performance. Two reasonable objectives, but ones that do not fully capture the broader implications of the changes.
F1 rule changes – Montoya’s interpretation: does Ferrari lose out?
This is where Montoya enters the discussion, with the brutally honest interpretation that has always defined him. On the MontoyAS podcast, the former driver dismantled the “neutral” narrative surrounding the new rules with striking simplicity:
“Personally, I think the changes to the starts, and how they will modify the energy at race starts, will help Mercedes.”
He is not referring only to Mercedes as a team. The Colombian was very precise in his distinction:
“This removes a disadvantage they had. And not just Mercedes as a team, but all cars with Mercedes engines. So not the team itself, but the power unit.”
This is a crucial distinction, because it shifts the discussion from a single constructor advantage to a systemic rebalancing that affects the entire Mercedes engine ecosystem: Alpine, Williams, McLaren — with the latter having built its recent dominance around the Brixworth power unit.
Montoya then expanded his analysis further: Red Bull, which has shown inconsistent starts in the early part of the season, could also benefit indirectly from the new regulations.
“Red Bull’s starts were often not bad or poor, they were inconsistent,” he observed, suggesting that the new assistance system could stabilise performance for more than one competitor.
And Ferrari? It loses ground.
“This takes away a bit of Ferrari’s advantage in the early phase of races,” Montoya concluded, referring to those first chaotic moments between lights out and the first corner — a phase in which Ferrari has stood out this season with strong and consistent launches.
That advantage was built around superior energy management during acceleration phases, something the new regulations are expected to partially neutralise.
Regulation as a political battlefield
Montoya’s interpretation highlights an aspect that official communications often downplay: technical regulations in Formula 1 are never truly neutral. Every change creates winners and losers, and the negotiation process between the FIA, FOM, teams, and drivers is always shaped by pressure, compromise, and strategic calculation far beyond safety or entertainment.
The fact that the changes are being introduced mid-season — at the fourth round of the calendar — is in itself significant. In a championship where teams invest hundreds of millions to gain thousandths of a second, changing the rules while the competition is already underway inevitably impacts those who built their competitiveness around characteristics now being reduced in importance.
Ferrari is currently the most exposed team. Its race starts have become a hallmark of the season: sharp, clean, and often decisive in gaining positions in the opening moments. If Miami truly marks a shift in that area, Maranello’s engineers will have work to do — not just to recover what they had gained, but to understand how much of that advantage will survive under the new regulations, and how much will simply disappear by decree.
Montoya has made his prediction. Now it remains to be seen whether the track will confirm his assessment.
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