Juan Pablo Montoya turns 51 on 20 September 2026. Born in Bogotá, the Colombian driver is among the few to have won Formula One races, the Indianapolis 500 and NASCAR events, as well as endurance races.

He began in karting, with support from his father. After junior racing in Colombia, the United States and Europe, he won the 1998 International Formula 3000 title with Super Nova, after a season-long duel with Nick Heidfeld.

In 1999, with Chip Ganassi Racing, he became CART champion as a rookie, with seven wins. In 2000 he won the Indianapolis 500 on his first start — the first Colombian to take the race, after leading 167 of 200 laps. Returning in 2015 with Team Penske, he took a second oval victory.

In Formula One (2001–2006) he drove for Williams-BMW and McLaren-Mercedes. First win: the 2001 Italian Grand Prix at Monza. Others included Monaco (2003) and Silverstone (2005). In all, seven Grand Prix wins and 13 poles. He left Formula One after the 2006 United States Grand Prix.

He then raced in the NASCAR Cup Series, returned to IndyCar and won the 24 Hours of Daytona three times. In 2019 he took the IMSA prototype title with Penske. He is no longer a full-time driver; in recent years he has appeared selectively and has, among other work, supported his son Sebastián’s career.

The anniversary keeps the series distinct: F3000 is not F1; CART is not post-split IndyCar; NASCAR is not IMSA endurance. Bogotá, Ganassi, Penske, Monza and Indianapolis are enough names. The figures above follow the public record, not a mixed table.

Fifty-one years mark a résumé of versatility, not an announced comeback. Current entries, checked at the time of writing, are not a full season.

Image: Zach Catanzareti Photo, Juan Pablo Montoya, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons.

Source consulted: Juan Pablo Montoya — Formula 1 Hall of Fame.