“We actually came close to a current F1 driver”: 23XI Racing boss explains the mindset behind Juan Pablo Montoya’s one-off return to NASCAR

23XI Racing President Steve Lauletta has shared that his team came quite close to locking a deal with a current F1 driver and laid the thought process behind signing former driver Juan Pablo Montoya instead. In addition to their #23 and #45 Toyotas for Bubba Wallace and Tyler Reddick, respectively, the Huntersville-based outfit will field the #50 Mobil 1 Camry at the Watkins Glen International on September 15.

Montoya is a former driver who has raced in multiple motorsports disciplines. This includes Formula 1, IndyCar, NASCAR, CART Series, and several others. During his career, the Colombian driver clinched several achievements such as winning the 1999 CART Driver's Championship, victoring the Indy 500 two times, and triumphing the 24 Hours of Daytona three times. He also boasts the 2019 IMSA Championship.

Amid Mobil 1's 50th anniversary, 23XI Racing has planned to pay their respect to the global automotive lubricant's F1 roots and thus, the team will field the #50 Mobil 1 Toyota for the final time this year. As a result, Juan Pablo Montoya entered the picture.

On the occasion of the brand's 50th year, Denny Hamlin's co-owned team registered two entries earlier this season- at the Circuit of the Americas with Kamui Kobayashi behind the wheel and with Corey Heim at the Nashville Superspeedway.

Ahead of the #50 Toyota's third and final run on the 2024 Cup Series calendar, 23XI Racing's president explained the mindset behind signing Juan Pablo Montoya amid their search for an F1 driver.

"We wanted to pay homage to their [Mobil 1] Formula 1 roots. We actually came close to a current F1 driver that we thought would race with us and look at the list of all the other drivers in F1 that they [Mobil 1] had a relationship with and one of those was Juan back in his McLaren days," Lauletta said via Sirius XM NASCAR Radio on X (0: 40).

Mobil 1 has a long history with NASCAR. They ventured into the high-octane motorsport in 1987 to sponsor Rusty Wallace's #27 Pontiac.

"I know the track well. I thought it’d be a fun thing to do"- Juan Pablo Montoya on his return to NASCAR after a decade

It's been a decade since Juan Pablo Montoya last battled in the NASCAR Cup Series at the 2014 Brickyard 400 hosted by the 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Moreover, since his final run, the dynamics of the stock car have varied significantly compared to the ones present during Montoya's time.

A big difference between the two generations of cars is the horsepower. In 2014, the high-octane ride produced around 900 horsepower but as the seasons progressed, the engines' output stood reduced. The present NextGen cars can churn up to 670 horsepower.

Despite less horsepower to enjoy, Montoya believes it would be "fun" to race at Watkins Glen again. He has made 12 starts across IMSA, IndyCar, and Cup Series on the 3.450-mile track. The 48-year-old has registered a win in 2010 and claimed three top-5s, and five top-10s overall, from his seven Cup appearances.

“I’m at a point in my career that I’m not looking for a job … but an opportunity like this comes along and I think I can still be really competitive and have a shot at it. So why not?” the 48-year-old Montoya said via Autoweek. “I’ve been to The Glen many times with IMSA and with IndyCar. I know the track well. I thought it’d be a fun thing to do."

Juan Pablo Montoya will be seen battling with the rivals at the 90-lap race which will mark NASCAR Playoff's second battle after the show commences at the Atlanta Motor Speedway.