Juan Pablo Montoya sat down with Arrow McLaren SP ahead of the GMR Grand Prix to discuss his return to the team and look ahead to the Indianapolis 500. 

The two-time Indianapolis 500 winner talked about his history at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) across all series and explained his outlook on the upcoming 500-mile race.

Question: It’s early days getting back to work with the Arrow McLaren SP engineers and race team, but how has it been thus far to get back to work with the seat fit and two days of on-track testing at IMS?

Juan Pablo Montoya: “I think the seat fit was really huge plus, because I came to the team with the seat I used at Team Penske and I was never comfortable in the car. I thought we couldn’t move the pedals closer, because we never did there, and at Arrow McLaren SP they do, so I could sit in a more natural position. Last year, I felt like I was laying back too much, which I didn’t mind on the oval, but I felt really good after my seat fit this year after the two days of testing. I felt right at home with the car and in more control with everything. It is nice now.”

Q: In 2021, everyone talked about using the GMR Grand Prix to prep the team before the Indianapolis 500. Is this year any different as you prepare for the road course event?

JPM: “No it doesn’t change. Last year, I got to test the car prior to the GP, but this year, we planned on a test and we had bad weather. So, I haven’t driven the car on a road course since last year. That is hard, because it’s not a normal three-day weekend. It is only two 45-minute sessions and qualifying. The big question is how close or far away will we be to start? That’s going to tell us whether we are going to have a decent race or not.

At the end of the day, we need to understand why we are doing the road course. We are doing the road course because the team and myself need to get more comfortable with the car, the pit stops, the fuel saving, and for the crew to go through a race weekend.

Remember, these guys aren’t full-time guys on the road each race, so they have to get the rust off as well. It’s a good experiment, and I’d like to be better prepared than I am, but physically and mentally I am ready for this. It’s really hot, which will make everything harder, but that’s what we got this weekend.”

Q: You’ve driven so many different vehicles on both the road course and the oval from two wheels to four. When you look back at all your experience at IMS, do you have a few particular memories that really stand out?

JPM: “The wins are obviously at the top and were really nice here. Generally, everything here has been good. Apart from 2016, every event I’ve had here has been really solid. Honestly, last year was difficult, but we had a really good group of guys working with me, making the car better as the weekend and month went along. Race day we had a decent car, but this year our starting point is way better. It will be interesting to see what happens the next few weeks with the heat and how the car will behave. I’m really excited.”

Q: Is there any type of vehicle that you want to drive at IMS that you haven’t?

JPM: “I don’t think there are more vehicles that I could drive? I’ve been here in Formula 1, INDYCAR, NASCAR, a prototype, a MotoGP bike on a two-seater. What else is there to race (laughs)? The only thing I haven’t driven here is a Formula E car or something like that here or anywhere else.”

Q: Moving the attention to the Indianapolis 500, how was the IMS Open Test a few weeks ago in order to get a jump start on this year’s race?

JPM: “The Open Test was really, really good. I felt really happy with the car and I haven’t been that happy with the car in a while. Let’s call it early days, but it went really well. Let’s say we tried eight things, and four or five of them made the car better. To go to a test day and find that many good things is very rare. So, we just have to make sure we keep that going next week and making sure we get it all right.”

Q: You’ve proven you can win this race from the front of the grid or the rear. How necessary is it in this car to qualify at the front of the field in the Indianapolis 500?

JPM: “Qualifying is not very important. Of course, we want to qualify up front and make our lives easier, but our main focus is going to be on the race. You try to do the best job you can do in qualifying, but it is not worth risking the car, especially if it’s good, ahead of the race. You have to be smart about that. Being such a long race, 200 laps, you have to be there at the end.”

Q: Since you’ve driven for Chip Ganassi Racing and Team Penske, winning this race with both, are there still things you learned there that can be applied to a race-winning car or strategy?

JPM: “For sure. Everything that I’ve done and raced, you apply that and understand more. I’m getting wiser and smarter, and I also understand what I need from the car. If you’ve seen the way I do practices, there’s a lot of times where I go out and don’t even do a lap. If I feel something that I’m uncomfortable with, I’m not going to push it. When you’re young and brave, you try it out and hope it sticks and may pay the price by doing so. So, I’ve learned to be calm about it and be smart.”

Q: Lastly, if you win your third Borg-Warner trophy on May 29, what would that mean to you to join the three-time winner’s club at the Indianapolis 500?

JPM: “Relatively speaking, to join the three-time winner’s club would be nice. But for me personally, it’s not that relevant. I want to win this race for myself, and not chase the record books. I just want to go out there and kick everyone’s ass.”