Montoya: Tyre management ‘crucial’ for Feature Race hopes

29 November 2025

It was a tricky Sprint Race, but Sebastián Montoya says fourth was as much as he could have hoped for.

The PREMA Racing driver went from fifth position, but the start didn’t pan out how he’d hoped as wheelspin following his initial launch meant he couldn’t take advantage of opportunities ahead of him.

As his rivals fought for track position ahead of him, the requirement to manage tyres made overtaking even more difficult at a circuit already tough to follow around.

“The start was fun, Alex was fighting with Stanek and Villagómez was fighting with Tsolov, but I was just watching,” Montoya said afterwards in the paddock. “I got a good start, but then I had a bit of wheelspin. They went three or four wide into the first corner and then I just saw Rafa for the rest of the race.

“Sometimes he’d get a bit sideways, he went off and then the last lap was interesting. I thought they were both going to crash, but then only one of them went off.”

The Colombian expanded on why the characteristics of the circuit made for such a tactical race, with the drivers opening up gaps to preserve their tyres in order to attack later on in the Sprint.

He added that what he and PREMA learned today will be crucial for their hopes in the longer Feature Race on Sunday, with more points at stake.

Montoya says that following the car ahead was tough and that management will be important tomorrow

“I think the biggest thing is the tyre management. I thought there was a better opportunity to be taking, that’s why we saw a lot of drivers opening up a gap and then closing back down again. But being such a high-speed circuit, the tyres can just overheat, especially when you’re following really closely.

“I had a few opportunities where I got close, but never close enough. You try and always think about what could be, future opportunities but also tyre management, and that tomorrow is the important race.

“Today was for learning a baseline for tomorrow. We’ll adapt the car, see what works and try and figure out what will work for tomorrow.

“You can’t overtake here easily. The front left tyre drops quite a lot. Here, being such a high-speed circuit, so many right-hand corners, you put a lot of energy into the front left. Trying to manage the front left whilst managing the rears is going to be crucial for tomorrow, especially with the temperatures being higher tomorrow.”

Pushed on what could make the difference in a race that will take place in hotter conditions, Montoya said that managing the tyre temperatures in the initial phases of a stint will be a pivotal factor in the outcome of the race.

He added that if a driver can keep on top of things enough, extending the first stint would be possible leading to a preferrable strategy and overcut.

“I think trying to maximise the tyres like at Monza. If you can make it last a little bit longer than everyone else, you can have a good advantage. It’s hard to put the heat into the tyres, the main thing you have to do is bring them in as quickly as possible without damaging them.

“If you can extend one more lap and then pit after someone in front of you, overcutting them, that’s the best possibility you have. In the end, if you’re following, it’s about trying to have the tyres drop less and then taking any opportunities you have.”