Sebastián Montoya joins Red Bull

Former Formula One driver Juan Pablo Montoya’s son Sebastián has signed for Red Bull’s Junior Team for the 2023 season. The 17-year-old hopes to emulate his father and make it to the motorsport’s pinnacle hoping to have made his first steps in the right direction with the Red Bull signing. 

Also read: Formula One 2023 driver lineups

Sebastián, who made his single-seater racing debut in 2020 in the ADAC Formula 4 and Italian Formula 4 championships with Prema Racing, took home his first podium places in both categories in 2021, finishing fourth in the Italian Formula 4 and ninth in ADAC F4. Last year, he took part in the Asian and European Formula Regional categories and won his first race at the Asian Regional winter series.

Montoya had a one-off performance in Formula 3 during the 2022 season where he raced for Campos for the injured Hunter Yeany at Zandvoort. He finished an impressive eighth, taking home points and giving the team their second-best qualifying of the year.

Montoya finished 13th in the Formula Regional European Championship last season, where he raced for Prema, and seventh in the Formula Regional Asian Championship while racing for Mumbai Falcons India Racing. 

Sebastian Montoya wrote about joining Red Bull via a social media post:

“Excited to announce I am now part of the Red Bull’s Official Junior Team. This past year, I became part of the brand’s athletes and now we will work together for the ultimate goal: F1.“

Speaking about his son, seven-time Formula One race winner Juan Pablo Montoya had said last year:

“I told people I think he is better than me and I really, genuinely think he’s better than me. Not because I’m the dad, it’s because I’ve worked with him a lot. I pushed him to be the best he can be in everything. And when we’re together in the LMP2 car in Sebring and see him, like matching to me what we do, it was really cool.

“He’s understanding of the tyre management. He manages tyres better than me, and he’s freaking 17, little pr**k!“

In September last year, Sebastián took part in a post-season test with British team Hitech Grand Prix and will be racing for the team in the Formula Regional Middle East Championship in 2023.