In Profile: Sebastián Montoya

Hitech Pulse-Eight rookie Sebastián Montoya claimed his first Formula 3 podium down under in the Melbourne Sprint Race.

It’s about time then to get to know the second-generation racer a little more. He took the time out to answer some pressing questions before we get back to racing in Imola.

FIRST RACING MEMORY

“Ah let me think, my first racing memory is probably when I was about to do my first race, I got on the throttle like I thought I was Lightning McQueen when I was on the grid before the race. It was like the beginning of the Cars movie, and my dad was like ‘Stop, stop stop!’ That was in karting back in 2012. It must have been my first or second race ever.”

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR RACING STYLE?

“I'd say interesting. It’s tough to say one specific word though because my driving style is quite smooth, but at the same time, quite aggressive. I try to be really easy with it, really smooth with the hand movements and on the pedals. But sometimes I can just be like a complete animal. Like in the wet, I just tend to like to slide the car everywhere and then in the dry, I'm trying to be as straight and tidy as possible. So I'm really aggressive while also being smooth, so I would say Interesting.”

WHO IS YOUR RACING HERO?

“Hmm, that's difficult...probably my dad for many reasons, but just because I know him personally along with hearing all the stories. I've always asked him about his racing career ever since I was little and so just hearing about that and just being able to have him by my side, I would probably say him. I'm also really big Ayrton Senna fan and just because of his mentality to racing, I'm just everyday trying to improve a little bit more and I'll probably say Ayrton Senna.”

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BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENT IN YOUR CAREER SO FAR?

“I'd probably say getting signed to the Red Bull Junior Team programme, that was really fun. Also being able to race with my dad being able to finish on the podium with my dad last year at Petite Le Mans, that was awesome. Some people might not agree with it, but that for me is something really big because my dad's someone that I've always really looked up to and last year, we were really quick racing together. So it made it fun.”

HOW DO YOU RELAX AWAY FROM RACING?

“I would probably say going to the gym, which doesn't really sound very relaxing, but it can be soothing. I like to play a lot of golf, golf is nice. I want to try to go like and back when I lived in Miami. I used to do a lot of water skiing and wakeboarding, stuff like that.”

WHAT’S THE BEST PART ABOUT BEING A RACING DRIVER?

“The races are the fun part. Racing and three parts as a qualifying because the qualifying is like - you really have to push the limits and you really have to trust in yourself how far you can go. So I'd probably say that, either the racing with everyone or the one lap in Qualifying.”

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE TRACK ON THE F3 CALENDAR?

“I would probably say Spa-Francorchamps or Imola. I think Monaco is going to be really cool but for now, I'd probably say Imola is number one.”