Over the years endurance racing has seen more than a few driver combinations that feature drivers who are related to each other, and the 2023 European Le Mans Series is no different. This season we welcome back the DragonSpeed USA team to the paddock, with series regular, and race winner, Henrik Hedman being joined by the father-son duo of Juan-Pablo and Sebastian Montoya in the LMP2 Pro/Am category.
Juan Pablo Montoya needs no introduction as a winner in every category he has competed in, a Formula One winner, including the Monaco Grand Prix, CART FedEX Champ Car World Series Champion, three time 24 Hours of Daytona winner and 2019 IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Champion. 18-year-old Sebastian is a chip off the old block and is equally at home in the cockpit of a single seater or a Le Mans Prototype. He is currently competing in the FIA Formula 3 Championship with Hitech Pulse-Eight and has a podium finish to his credit.
We caught up with the Montoyas in Barcelona ahead of the first race of the season and asked them what it’s like competing together in the same car.
“Honestly, it's quite weird because our driving styles are quite different, Sebastian answered. “So, it's been an interesting learning curve for my side. I think the big advantage that I have been to most of the tracks that we're racing this year, like, for example, Barcelona, I think it was last week that I was testing here in F3. So, there's a lot of tracks that I've raced since F4. There are a lot of tracks where I haven't been but my dad's raced there, so for me it's just going to be like a big advantage, because it's someone that I trust and someone that I can really believe in. Last year, we did so well (in IMSA), so there's no reason why this year just can't be as good or better.”
So, the question to Montoya Junior has to be does having a famous father put pressure on him? “Not really, because I don't really feel the pressure from other people expecting me to be fast; I know I am fast,” he answered quickly. “The problem is, I want to be faster than my dad. We're really competitive within our family and I think it's just in our nature to try to push each other to be quicker than one another, but also help each other.”
How does the dynamic work for Montoya senior? What is it like racing with his son? “It’s good fun,” was the quick answer from Juan Pablo. “We work together a lot in F3 and everything in his career so far, and sharing a car is fun. You know talking about the same issues, what's on the car, how he goes around the problems, how I go around the problems. It's good fun and I think it's a good learning tool for him.”
As an 18-year-old just starting out on his racing career in single seaters, where does sportscars fit into the plan for Sebastian Montoya? “Obviously, especially this year, being a new Red Bull Junior driver, honestly, my main goal is to be a Formula One World Champion, and I'm going to work really hard for that,” he answered. “But at the same time, I'm not one of those drivers that just wants to race in F1. I have my options open as I really love racing in general. So, if I could do it for the rest of my life in different categories, and try to master each category in a way, I would honestly love to do it.
“Last year was my first taste of endurance racing and I really enjoyed it, because it's something really different that you're not used to in an open seater,” Sebastian continued. “Because there's so many things going on during the race, that it kind of makes you think about other stuff about like, for example, the GTs and LMP3s, what are they doing in their own races. In the US, we also have the DPIs that were quicker than us, which adds another dynamic to the race. But honestly, my main goal is just to win whatever I'm racing it in and just trying to keep learning from all the different experiences that I'm living.”
In 2021 Juan-Pablo Montoya won the LMP2 Pro/Am category at Le Mans with Henrik Hedman and Ben Hanley and as a winner of the Indy 500 and Monaco Grand Prix, the inevitable question is will he try to equal Graham Hill’s unique record as the only driver to take the triple crown and win overall at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the future?
“Well, I did win my class at Le Mans, but it is not something I am considering at the moment; I’ve never had really the opportunity to do it,” Juan Pablo said. “I think the year I won in class was harder to win than overall; in overall there were really only two cars racing. We had like, 14 cars in class. I don't care, I'm not into what needs to be done for the triple crown. For me, personally, I went to Le Mans in the car that I was racing, and I won it. I went to Daytona, and I won it. I have won Indy, I’ve won Formula One races, I won at everything, so I am pretty happy.”
The LMP2 Pro/Am category in the ELMS this year is full of talent and the competition is pretty tough, so where does the experienced Juan-Pablo Montoya think the biggest challenge is going to come from? “It's tough. I mean, it’s high level,” he said. “There's a lot of really fast bronze drivers and that makes it really difficult. A lot of people raced in the Asian championship and we're just getting started. We've been kind of competitive here, you know, the car has been working really well.”
Is it an advantage having Henrik (Hedman) in the car with you because you raced with him in the US and he's won in the ELMS as well? “Henrik does a really good job. Here we’ve had some issues and we are a little behind. But the pace in the long runs seems pretty good.”
Round 2 of the European Le Mans Series will be the 4 Hours of Le Castellet on 14-16 July.
