Juan Pablo Montoyaseven times winner of a Formula 1 GPis still linked to motorsports and after leaving the Gran Circo he tackled other projects such as the NASCAR, IndyCar and resistance, in this case both sides of the Atlanticboth in the IMSA (American resistance) as in Le Mans. And precisely in the endurance European will compete this 2023 with his son, Sebastian Montoya. The two members of the saga will crew with Henrik Hedmann at the controls of Oreca 07 LMP2 of the dragonspeedregistered in the provisional list of the European Le Mans Series, a long-distance running contest (4 hours), which, as its name indicates, runs through the old continent. The trio of drivers have already teamed up with the same prototype in some IMSA 2022 races (Montoya and Hedman won in Mid-Ohio), and now they reach the European series with the North American team, which is one of the regulars in recent years at Le Mans in the LMP2 category.
Juan Pablo Montoya has raced three times on the circuit of the Sarthein 2018 with united sportsfinishing third in LMP2 and seventh overall, and in 2020 and 2021 with dragonspeed. In his last participation, the Colombian enrolled in the class LMP2 Pro-Amwhich made it necessary to have a bronze license driver in its lineup and within this premise the North American team ended up winning in its category, being tenth among the LMP2 prototypes and 15th overall, a result with which the Bogota claimed the Triple Crownrecognition reserved for the winners in the 500 miles of Indianapolis (twice, 2000 and 2015), the Monaco F1 GP (2003) and the 24 Hours of Le Mans (the one you apply for your class win in 2021).
“I won the triple crown, whoever likes it,” Montoya assured after the race, alluding to those who added that it was a ‘light’ version for being the winner in a category that was not the absolute one. “For me the Triple Crown is there. Those who like it well and those who don’t, too. We went to run the same 24 hours as everyone else and we won the race whoever likes it”, he continued in an interview in the ESPNin which he emphasized the value of his career: “It’s a bit funny because if you are in a Toyota, which is the one that won the general classification, there are five cars that are in the category and the Toyotas won by about five laps (He toyota 7, winner, won by two laps 8for four to Alpine and one of the glickenhaus and for seven to the other). So which is fairer, fighting eight cars or two? I don’t want to take anything away from anyone, but in the category we were in, we did what we had to win and I’m very happy”.
In any case, no one can take away from Juan Pablo Montoya the satisfaction of racing with his 17-year-old son, Sebastián, who is part of the young pilots program of Red Bull and will race in F3 with Hi Tech. Before, it is in the Regional Formula Middle East Championshipin which in 2022 he won several races and finished seventh in a championship that Arthur Leclerc (Charles’ brother) took ahead of Pepe Martiwho this weekend won the second race of dubai of the contest and with whom he will see himself on the track in F3.