JUAN PABLO MONTOYA REUNITED WITH 2004 BRAZILIAN GP WINNING WILLIAMS FW26
Juan Pablo Montoya reveals the $200,000 cost to restore his Williams FW26 as F1 car ownership trends among legends like Ocon and Button.
Juan Pablo Montoya spent most of his Formula 1 career racing for Williams. They pulled him straight out of American racing and signed him for the 2001 season.
It worked out pretty well. Montoya won four races in 68 starts, even though Michael Schumacher and Ferrari were dominating back then. He still managed to finish in the top three of the championship in both 2002 and 2003.
Montoya’s name sits high in Williams’ record books. He’s in their top five for podiums (23) and pole positions (11).
He left Williams at the end of 2004 and joined McLaren for two seasons. After that, he headed back to the U.S. to race in NASCAR.
Now, Montoya faces a pretty hefty bill if he wants to relive his Williams days. On his AS Colombia podcast, he said he bought the Williams FW26—the car he drove to victory in the 2004 Brazilian Grand Prix, his last race for the team.
But owning the car and actually driving it are two different things. The car ran a BMW engine back in the day, but right now, it’s just an empty shell—no engine at all.
Montoya’s 50 now, but he was still racing as recently as 2023. He’s got plans to get the car running and take it out for a few laps soon.
He’s not sugarcoating it—getting the car back on track will cost him close to $200,000 (£147,000) if he wants to do serious mileage.
“The car is missing an engine,” Montoya said. “We were supposed to put one in this year, but we haven’t even done a single lap.
“To be honest, I’ve got so many other things going on. The idea is to take it for a few laps.
“If you want, you can chip in and give it a try yourself! If you want to do 40 laps in that car, it’ll end up costing about $150,000 to $200,000 in total.
“One day on track will run you $80,000 to $100,000, and all the parts and extras are another $100,000.”
Montoya’s not the only F1 driver who owns a piece of his old racing history.
In 2024, Esteban Ocon got his hands on the Alpine car he took to victory at the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix—still his only F1 win. Ocon, who’s now moved to Haas, actually had a contract clause that let him keep the car.
Fernando Alonso’s championship-winning Renaults from 2005 and 2006 are on display in his museum in Spain.
Jenson Button also owned his 2009 Brawn—the car that won him the title—but he sold it at auction last year for a whopping £2.8 million.
SERGIO PEREZ BREAKS SILENCE ON CADILLAC’S FIRST FOUR RACES OF 2026 F1 SEASON
Discover why Sergio Perez is confident in Cadillac’s 2026 path despite urgent needs for better pace and reliability fixes.
Sergio Perez didn’t waste time sharing his thoughts on Cadillac after the first four races of the 2026 Formula 1 season.
Cadillac shows up in 2026 as F1’s newest team, but honestly, not a lot of people expected fireworks right away. With veterans like Valtteri Bottas and Perez behind the wheel, the team’s start has been a mix, some moments full of promise, others derailed by reliability issues.
Still, Cadillac isn’t just stuck at the back. Lately, they’ve been right there fighting with Aston Martin and even managed to split them in Miami, which turned a few heads.
Perez knows the team is at risk of falling behind in this crazy-fast development race, though. “We still have work to do, but I’m confident we’re on the right path,” he told reporters, including Motorsport Week.
He added, “Sometimes, once tyre degradation sets in, we can hang with the midfield, but they always seem to find another gear. There’s a long way to go this season, but we’re in a rush to find more pace. We know Aston will get stronger, and we don’t want to be left behind.”
Racing Aston Martin has actually brought Perez some enjoyment. He especially likes battling Fernando Alonso, calling those fights fair and satisfying. Still, he pointed out a weak spot: “We’re having fun with them. Racing Fernando is always great because he’s so fair. But we struggled with tyre degradation; we burnt through them too quickly. We picked the hard compound, but honestly, looking back, I should’ve gone with the soft.”
He said there’s plenty to analyse, and really, the key is getting a better grip on their car as they look ahead to Canada. “We don’t have much time, but in the short term, we need to fix the degradation. We have some ideas, but putting them together is our biggest challenge in the next few weeks.”
Cadillac may be the new kid on the block and still finding its feet, but it’s already starting to make an impact. The road out of the lower ranks won’t be easy, but they’re moving in the right direction.
HOW KIMI ANTONELLI’S THREE-RACE WIN STREAK IS REDEFINING THE MERCEDES TEAM HIERARCHY
With a 43-second gap in Miami, Antonelli proves he’s ready to lead the World Championship. Can Russell bounce back in Canada?
David Coulthard, the former Formula 1 driver, recently pointed out that Kimi Antonelli might be on track to overtake George Russell as Mercedes’ team leader.
Antonelli has been on an impressive run, clinching victories in the last three races and pulling ahead by 20 points over his main competitor and teammate, Russell.
At the Miami race, the young Italian once again outperformed his more seasoned teammate, with Russell managing only fourth place, trailing by 43 seconds.
Coulthard acknowledged Antonelli’s rapid rise in 2026, which is just his second season in F1. He highlighted Antonelli’s strengths and suggested that the Italian is, in many ways, now leading the Mercedes team.
“He’s come of age,” Coulthard said during the Up To Speed podcast.
Despite being relatively new, Antonelli has shown resilience, dealing not only with the pressure from a driver like Lando ready to strike but also with technical glitches like inconsistent paddle shifts. Coulthard mentioned how Antonelli kept his cool even when his engineer, Bono, was trying to help troubleshoot the issue in a tense moment.
“I think he’s earned the right to lead the World Championship,” Coulthard added, noting that this situation probably feels uncomfortable for George. Still, the expectations now lean heavily toward Antonelli leading the team, especially based on recent results.
Coulthard also pointed out that Russell has the experience and skill to reclaim his position as the team’s lead driver, but emphasised that only one can come out on top; someone must finish first and the other second.
The rivalry between them might start opening doors for other teams. Coulthard noted that improvements from McLaren, Ferrari, and Red Bull were already noticeable, especially in Miami.
“Winning in the best car isn’t always straightforward. Many have tried and struggled,” he said.
For Russell, who is feeling the weight of this momentum shift, the upcoming race in Canada will be crucial if he wants to close the gap and halt Antonelli’s winning streak.
