Montoya blames Lewis Hamilton's "cool vegan guy" image for downfall at Ferrari in Max Verstappen comparison

Former F1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya has harshly criticized Lewis Hamilton for failing to perform at Ferrari. He declared that the seven-time champion's desire to be "portrayed as a cool vegan guy" has damaged his racing mentality, unlike Max Verstappen, who he believes has a 'killer' instinct on track.

Hamilton has been vegan since 2017. What began out of concern for environmental and animal welfare soon turned into a performance booster for the F1 legend, who found the vegan diet instrumental in improving athletic performance.

The Ferrari star also had a vegan burger chain named Neat Burger, which he launched in 2019, with Leonardo DiCaprio as a co-investor. However, after suffering millions in losses, they shut down all locations in early 2025.

Lewis Hamilton has also been vocal about animal welfare and his love for dogs. However, Juan Pablo Montoya feels that the Briton cannot have the "cool vegan guy" image if he wants more success in F1 with Ferrari.

"I don't understand him. He wants to be portrayed as that cool vegan guy who doesn't want to hurt animals and pets. But such a person should not be a racing driver," Montoya said, as quoted by RN365.

The Colombian compared Hamilton to his 2021 title rival, Max Verstappen, who he feels has that 'killer' attitude on the racetrack.

"Because someone who wants to be a racing driver shouldn't mind killing people. Such a person must do whatever it takes to win. Lewis used to be like that. Now Max (Verstappen) is such a person."

Verstappen has been a class apart since he beat Lewis Hamilton to his first F1 title in 2021, albeit in controversial circumstances. The Dutchman has been extracting the best out of Red Bull's cars, even as their performance continues to dwindle.

Meanwhile, Hamilton has failed to live up to the preseason hype and adapt to Ferrari's method of operations and the SF-25.

Juan Pablo Montoya claims Ferrari is "getting tired" of Lewis Hamilton's 'complaints'

Lewis Hamilton at the F1 Hungarian GP - Post Qualifying - Source: Getty

Lewis Hamilton sounded like a broken man before F1's summer break commenced in early August. After the Hungarian GP qualifying, where he failed to get past Q2, the 40-year-old called himself "useless" and stated that Ferrari should replace him.

His outlook remained gloomy even after the race, where he finished in P12, his first non-points finish of the season. Hamilton hinted at problems in Ferrari's operations, saying:

"There's a lot going on in the background that's not great."

This triggered speculation about his premature exit from the Maranello-based team. However, Juan Pablo Montoya believes that Hamilton made such comments only to get Ferrari to listen to his input and feedback.

"When I listen to what he (Hamilton) says, I think Ferrari doesn't pay much attention to him. They only want him there for the name. I think people within the team are annoyed by how he tries to push things through, and they get tired of 'his complaining,'" Montoya said.

The seven-time Grand Prix winner further explained the situation, adding:

"What he said is not a sign of a collapse. It's a way of telling the team that if they don't listen to him, he might as well leave. The team doesn't listen to what he wants and what he's trying to achieve. The team has a way of working, and Hamilton's is different."

At the halfway point of the 2025 season, Lewis Hamilton is 42 points adrift of teammate Charles Leclerc in the drivers' championship - 151 vs 109 (P5 vs P6). Though Max Verstappen is further ahead in P3, he too has no hopes of winning the drivers' championship, with the McLaren duo making it an intra-team battle for the 2025 title.