Max Verstappen may have walked away from the Miami Grand Prix with a fifth-place finish, but not everyone is buying the narrative that his recovery drive was a masterclass in skill. Former F1 star Juan Pablo Montoya has cast doubt on the praise heaped on the Dutchman, suggesting that luck—not talent—played the bigger role in his survival after an opening-lap spin.

Starting from the front row alongside Kimi Antonelli, Verstappen looked confident after Red Bull introduced a fresh set of upgrades. But as the pack charged into Turn 1, things quickly unravelled. Lining up alongside Antonelli and Charles Leclerc, Verstappen found himself squeezed. Leclerc swept ahead, and moments later, Verstappen lost control of his car, spinning wildly in front of the chasing field.

Miraculously, he avoided contact and kept his car on track. While commentators like Martin Brundle called it "absolute genius" and Jolyon Palmer praised his car control, Montoya wasn't convinced. Speaking on F1TV, Palmer argued that Verstappen's ability to recover from spins is a testament to his skill. "He's got such a skill set at spinning cars and getting them going again at the right point," Palmer said.

Montoya shot back: "You say that's talent? I thought it was pure luck." When Palmer doubled down, explaining that Verstappen's repeated success in these situations proves it's more than chance, Montoya remained sceptical. "The car always spins and then it slows down," he countered.

Palmer offered a technical rebuttal: "You've got maybe 10 degrees of a 360-degree spin to get the car pointing forward again. You're managing the brake pedal, steering, and clutch all at once. Max just does it."

Verstappen's race didn't get much smoother from there. Despite picking up damage from the spin, he fought back to overtake Leclerc late in the race. A time penalty for crossing the pit exit line threatened to drop him down the order, but with Leclerc also penalised, Verstappen held onto fifth place. He also made several aggressive moves, including a controversial pass on Carlos Sainz that left the Williams driver fuming in his post-race comments.

So, was it a stroke of genius or a lucky escape? The debate continues—but one thing's for sure: Verstappen's Miami Grand Prix will be remembered for more than just his finishing position.