Montoya, whose father races for DragonSpeed in the 2021 World Endurance Championship, including this weekend’s Le Mans 24 Hours, will get behind the wheel of the American outfit’s Oreca-Gibson LMP2 car at the traditional end-of-year rookie test, which takes place on Sunday November 7 following the Bahrain season finale.
Montoya’s surprise call-up happened in person at Le Mans, where he was following his father’s progress with the team, which qualified 13th for this weekend’s 89th running of the French endurance classic.
DragonSpeed owner Elton Julian extended Montoya an offer he couldn’t refuse on Friday afternoon, which he gratefully accepted.
“The reason we brought you here is because we’d like to invite you to do the rookie test in Bahrain with us on November 7,” Julian told a shell-shocked Montoya, who turned 16 in April.
“The reason for that is not only for your performances on track, which have been awesome, for your development during the season, but more than anything for having the opportunity to meet you, to see you are as a person.”
Julian added Montoya “deserved” his opportunity to make his first miles in LMP2 machinery and told the youngster to enjoy the day.
Young Montoya already knows most people in the team through his father, who is set to contest his fifth sportscar race across the WEC and European Le Mans Series with the squad alongside team regulars Ben Hanley and Henrik Hedman.
After a promising career in karting, Montoya junior stepped up to Formula 4 in 2020, contesting the Italian F4 championship and selected rounds of its German equivalent with the Italian Prema Powerteam.
He returned for full campaigns in both series in 2021, taking eight podiums so far across both championships and claiming his first pole at Vallelunga. He currently sits third in the Italian Formula 4 standings, and second in the ADAC F4 championship.
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