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Juan Pablo Montoya on his 'amazing' Formula E experience

INTERVIEW 18 Apr 2026 4 Mins

Racing driver legend, Juan Pablo Montoya, paid a visit to the Formula E paddock last time out in Madrid. We caught up with him and found out his first impressions of the all-electric championship.

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Interview by Katy Fairman

The inaugural 2026 CUPRA Raval Madrid E-Prix brought lots of motorsport’s biggest stars to the Jarama Circuit last month. One of those was seven-time Formula 1 race winner Juan Pablo Montoya, who experienced his first taste of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship and is certainly a fan.

Speaking to Championship Journalist Katy Fairman, the Columbian legend who banked 94 starts, 30 podiums and 13 pole positions during his time in F1, spoke about his first impressions of Formula E, the exciting qualifying format and how he thinks he would have fared racing in the championship.

CALENDAR: Here's every race set for the 2025/26 Formula E season

“It’s my first time here and getting to see the cars. I’ve just watched qualifying and it was really exciting. I think the format is really cool and it fits quite well because the circuits are smaller, so the lap times are not crazy long. It keeps you engaged, and it is very different but very cool!”

The 3934km circuit was a big success with drivers, teams and fans, with a sell-out crowd around this old-school circuit. Designed by the same man who created Suzuka and Zandvoort, the Circuit Jarama proved a new favourite circuit among the paddock, with other guests including racing legend Rubens Barrichello.

Asked if he would enjoy racing the GEN3 Evo around Jarama, Montoya replied: “yeah, I think it would be different. It's amazing, and the acceleration of the car is really surprising how fast they accelerate.

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“It would be really cool to see the next gen car – GEN4 – and how it's going to be. They're talking about how the acceleration is going to be insane.

“It's very different from what I am used to because you're so used to the noise, so that's a big surprise but overall, you know, people are really engaged here. There's a lot of people at the track. I think it's pretty cool.”

As well as his impressive stint in Formula 1 from 2001 to 2006, Montoya has also raced in IndyCar, NASCAR, Sports Cars and Endurance events. During the Madrid race day, Montoya was kept busy visiting plenty of garages up and down the paddock.

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“We know some of the guys here at DS PENSKE and I saw some of the guys at Andretti that I have met before in IndyCar. Pepe Martí (CUPRA KIRO) is friends with my kid Sebastián Montoya, so they're actually together right now. They were teammates and they ran together before.”

Formula E is known for its elbows-out style of racing, with so much unpredictability and an incredibly high caliber of drivers across our grid. The style of racing is something that Montoya was known for during his career, and was asked if he would have enjoyed being on a grid like this back when he was competing.

“Yeah, but that was kind of the way I used to [race], it's nothing that different there. I would have been in trouble, more than a pro!”

Asked if he’ll be back to watch GEN4 when it hits the track next season, Montoya replied: “You have to get to see next year's car, but the problem is my kid does FIA Formula 2 and I do F1TV as well, so I travel so much. When I do get time off, I normally try to golf!”

SCHEDULE: Where, when and how to watch or stream the 2026 Hankook Berlin E-Prix, Rounds 7 & 8

Formula E is back in Berlin for Rounds 7 & 8 of the 2025/26 season of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship! Over the years, the track has hosted some of Formula E’s most iconic races, with titles won and lost and history made. Tune in to find out who takes victory at Tempelhof Airport this time on Saturday 2 May & Sunday 3 May.

Free Practice 1: Friday 1 May, 16:00 local / 15:00 BST
Free Practice 2: Saturday 2 May, 09:30 local / 08:30 BST
Qualifying: Saturday 2 May, 11:40 local / 10:40 BST
Race: Saturday 2 May, 16:05 local / 15:05 BST

Free Practice 3: Sunday 3 May, 09:30 local / 08:30 BST
Qualifying: Sunday 3 May, 11:40 local / 10:40 BST
Race: Sunday 3 May, 16:05 local / 15:05 BST

View the full schedule in your time zone and check the broadcaster listings or tap the Ways to Watch button above to find out where to watch all the racing action where you live.

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LIVE: Follow every lap live, with reaction and coverage at fiaformulae.com/live

Additionally, Formula E’s social media channels, website, and app will provide session reports, exclusive interviews, and behind-the-scenes insights from trackside during the five-day event.