Juan Pablo Montoya is credited with the fastest Formula 1 lap ever, and proves his versatility as a driver across motorsports. Having competed in NASCAR, Formula 1, IndyCar, and Karting Montoya has had rubber on the road in many forms. Montoya’s Formula 1 career started in 2001 with Williams before a transition to McLaren in 2005.

The view out of a Formula 1 car is intense, but the open wheel design afford the driver maximum visibility in traffic, and when apexing corners.

As reported by Peter Windsor “Juan Pablo Montoya of Williams BMW re-wrote the record books by recording the fastest-ever lap, seen in Formula 1.” Setting this pace during pre-qualifying, Montoya went on to have a final season with Williams of ups and downs, ultimately winning his final race of the season.

Back in 2004, Montoya recorded a lap time of 1.525 minutes around the famed Monza circuit. His average speed was approximately 163 mph, a blistering pace to maintain control and concentration.

Autodromo Nazionale Monza is a fast circuit with 9 corners. Map courtesy of Will Pittenger

Autodromo Nazionale Monza, more commonly referred to as simply “Monza” is located north of Milan and is known for being an incredibly high-speed circuit. Featuring nine corners, this Italian stop on the Formula 1 circuit is one of the worlds most well known racetracks.

The car Montoya set his incredible lap time in was the FW26, a Williams design powered by a 3-liter BMW V10 engine. The car featured a renowned strange front aerodynamic design. Dubbed the “Walrus”, or “Tusk Nosed” Formula 1.

The Williams FW26 featured a BMW 3-liter V10, and a strange front-end design much stubbier than the competition.