Read time: 13.5 minutes

“I’m an a**hole,” says Juan Pablo Montoya bluntly. “But I’m an a**hole because I want to win. I’m gonna give it hell.”

Out of context, these words might suggest our interview with the Colombian didn’t go quite as well as we were hoping. Thankfully, this was just him reciting the spiel he gives to any engineers he’s about to work with for the first time.

“The only reason I’m doing this – being an a**hole – is because I want to perform,” he adds. “And if you understand my intentions, why I’m being so hard, then you’ll understand why I get so many good results.”

Take a glance at Juan Pablo’s racing CV and it’s hard to argue with his approach: seven Formula 1 wins, including the Monaco Grand Prix; two Indianapolis 500 wins; 15 INDYCAR wins; two NASCAR Cup wins; CART Champion; IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Champion; International F3000 Champion; the list of achievements goes on and on.

Three of Juan Pablo’s grand prix wins came with McLaren and now he’s gunning for a third victory in the Indy 500 with Arrow McLaren SP. Ahead of his hat-trick bid this weekend, we caught up with him and McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown. The pair go way back: as far as 1994. Although it turns out, much to the embarrassment of Juan Pablo, only Zak can remember their first encounter.

So Juan Pablo, after three decades of racing what motivates you to still go out there and do it?

Juan Pablo Montoya: I just love racing. That love has stayed with me throughout my career. The reason why I’ve raced in so many different categories is because I’ve always looked to race where I’m going to feel good and enjoy myself. That’s the number one thing for me: I need to enjoy what I’m doing. Like Zak, I’m passionate about racing. When I get on track I want to beat everybody.

This year, I’m driving so many different cars: the Indy car with Arrow McLaren SP, the Acura in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and an LMP2 car in the World Endurance Championship. Every car that you drive is different. The tyres are different, the feeling is different, what you’re looking for is different, how you do it is different. It’s quite an experience. It can be stressful at times, but it’s a lot of fun.

Zak, you've backed off your own racing since heading up McLaren Racing. Do you still enjoy getting out on track and how often do you do it these days?

Zak Brown: I love getting out on a racetrack. My dream job would have been in the race suit Juan Pablo wore when he stood on the top step of the podium for McLaren. Now I think I’ve got the second-best job, which is trying to get on the podium in a McLaren team shirt. I think once racing gets in your blood and you’ve driven competitively, you always miss it. I don’t get out on track anywhere near as much as I would like to, but I do manage to get out a few times a year.

A lot of people may not realise, but you two have raced against each other.

ZB: Yeah, I would say we’ve been in the same race, but I wouldn’t say we’ve raced against each other. There’s definitely a difference there. When I spoke to Juan Pablo about it…it’s terrible…I don’t think he even realised I was in the race. [Laughs.]

JPM: I had no idea! Before we jumped on this call I had to ask Zak about it. I had no idea he was in that race.

ZB: The problem is Juan Pablo didn’t know anybody was in that race because no one saw him. It was 1994, Miami, in a racing series called the Barber Saab [Pro Series]. Juan showed up and kicked all our asses and everyone was saying he was the next Ayrton Senna. When you’re in the junior formulas, no one quite knows who’s who and where Juan Pablo was unbelievable was race starts on cold tires. I think that’s sort of Juan’s trademark: he can drive a race car, hot, cold, any temperature, faster than anyone else. I remember saying to myself in the race: “Man, this is just the first lap. Juan needs to slow down a little bit, we’re all just getting warmed up still.”

Juan Pablo, you mentioned all the different cars you're driving this year, but looking back on your career what’s been the highlight so far?

ZB: Man, you’ve got a bunch.

JPM: Yeah, that’s tricky to answer. There are two that really stand out. One is the first time I drove an F1 car because, at that point, I didn’t know what was going to happen, whether I was going to even have a career in F1 – this test might have been my only chance. I said: “OK, even if I don’t make it, at least I drove a freakin’ F1 car.”

The second was when I won at Long Beach in 1999. It was huge. It was my first CART win and after the race I started to believe I could have a career in motorsport and make a living out of it. You have to remember that I went into Alex Zanardi’s car. He’d beaten everybody for almost three years in a row. He was the man. Then he left for F1 and all of a sudden I had to drive his car. It was a hell of a challenge. Winning the Monaco Grand Prix and the Indy 500 was also very special. And winning at Silverstone in a McLaren meant a lot because it was the team’s home race.

Who would you say has been your toughest team-mate?

JPM: Kimi [Räikkönen] and Ralf [Schumacher] were both very strong, but Ralf was the guy that made my life most miserable. Kimi was very, very good, but what made it difficult for me when I went up against Ralf was that I really hated the car. I was really uncomfortable in it, so that made my life even harder. When I joined Williams, I would drive the car as fast as I could and then Ralf would go out and he was like seven tenths quicker. I had nothing. You’re left wondering what to do next: you can either sit down and cry or get on with the programme and figure it out.

It’s bit a similar now with Pato [O’Ward] as my team-mate. He can adapt to whatever. You could put the wheels on backwards and he’d still run the same freakin’ laptime. I’m more about making sure the car is doing what it needs to be doing first and then the laptime comes. I think that’s something that comes more with age. When you’re young, you just drive the car and if it gets sideways it doesn’t matter. I don’t mind getting it sideways, but why get sideways if you can drive it straight?

The Indianapolis 500 is just days away. What does the race mean to you, Zak?

ZB: On a personal level, my earliest memories of racing are watching the Indy 500. Johnny Rutherford, who won the race for McLaren, was my first Indy 500 hero. I lived in Indianapolis for 20 years, and I’ve probably been to the Indy 500 about 20 times.

JPM: 20?!

ZB: Yeah, probably.

JPM: Wow. [Raises eyebrows.]

ZB: Bringing Fernando [Alonso] back was awesome. And then I tried to get Juan to compete in the race for us in 2018 and it was a total setup. Juan said he had a contract with Roger Penske and that I should call Roger, but he knew exactly what Roger was gonna say to me.

JPM: I told you! [Laughs.]

ZB: So I called Roger and I’m like: “Hey, I’d like to talk to you. Is there a chance you wouldn’t mind Juan driving for us?” He got totally on the rev limiter and I was like, “Err... so is that a no?” Then I called Juan and said, “Dude, that ain’t happening.” And Juan replied: “That’s exactly what I thought Roger would say.” I was like: “Oh man, I’ve been set up!”

I’ve wanted Juan in the car for a while. He raced with us [for United Autosports] at the 24 Hours of Le Mans a few years ago and got on the podium. I’ve followed him his whole career. He’s been awesome at everything he’s been in. His record in the Indy 500 is probably second to only Rick Mears as far as results versus times raced. I like our chances. We’re going into the race with three drivers, Juan, Pato and Felix [Rosenqvist], who are more than capable of winning it.

As Zak has just touched on, you've got a great record in the Indy 500, winning it twice. What does the race mean to you, Juan Pablo?

JPM: Honestly, the first time I won it, I didn’t even want to be there because I had just won the CART Championship in 1999 and Chip [Ganassi] had got this deal for 2000 which meant we were having to run a car with a different engine, chassis, everything really. And we were struggling. We were very fast, but the car kept breaking down. Then I was told we were going to run in the Indy 500 and I was like, “I don't want to go. I don’t want to lose the focus on what we’re doing here.” I did the race because I had to but, honestly, I wasn’t that interested.

When I won in 2015, it was a different story because Roger [Penske] hadn’t won the race in six years. Given all the effort they put in, I was shocked it had been so long. It was nice to finally break that ice and get another win for Roger. It was very special.

There have been times in the past when I was really close to racing for McLaren at Indy, so it’s great that it’s finally happening this year. The team has already won a race this season and I really believe the cars are going to be quite strong at Indy. It’s a long race though and a lot of things need to go your way. You need to be patient and see how the race develops. If you’ve got a shot at the end, then you give it hell.

Join the team

McLaren Plus is our free-to-join fan loyalty programme, bringing McLaren fans closer to the team with the most inclusive, rewarding and open-to-all fan programmes in F1 & esports.

Sign up now, or current members can amend their details in the form below if necessary.