Former grand prix winner Juan Pablo Montoya has rubbished the idea that technical failures in Formula One can be the result of a conspiracy, saying there is always a chance modern cars break down.
Mechanical problems, especially engine failures, have grown scarce in recent years, with reliability improving to near-perfect levels.
However, the 2016 season featured several high-profile issues, starting with Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes power unit failure while leading the Malaysian Grand Prix.
The retirement derailed the Briton’s hopes of a fourth title and gave fresh momentum to the conspiracy theories that had been bubbling up from previous engine-related hiccups for Hamilton.
Looking back at his 2005 season with McLaren for the Woking outfit’s website, Montoya explains that reliability issues have always been part of motorsports.
“I had a lot of problems [in '05], but that’s racing,” said the 41-year-old. “Nowadays when somebody breaks down, it’s ‘Oh my God, it’s a conspiracy!’ What people don’t understand is how much goes into one of these cars now.
“With simulations they can do a better job and it’s going to break less, but there’s still a chance. Everything is pushed so far.”
“I’m a big believer in as long as we win together and lose together, it’s all good. Lose together, and you win, it doesn’t work. it’s got to go both ways, some days it’s going to be me, some days it’s going to be the car, and it’s got to be treated the same way.”
Montoya’s spell at McLaren - as well as his F1 career - ended in acrimony with the seven-time grand prix winner walking out halfway through the 2006 season.
The Colombian went on to compete in the US, where he became a race winner in NASCAR before making a strong return to IndyCar capped with a second career victory at the Indy 500 in 2015.
“Looking back on my F1 career I can say that I ran for McLaren and Williams, [using] Mercedes and BMW [engines], won races for them. In my mind I wasn’t going to have an opportunity to win a World Championship.
“I’d won all the races I wanted to win [...] I have no regrets that I’m aware of.”
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