Juan Pablo Montoya reveals Helmut Marko once sent him to an ‘energy healer’
“The only person who ever sent me to get checked out because he said there was something wrong with me was Helmut Marko,” says Juan Pablo Montoya.
Speaking on the MontoyAS podcast, the former Williams driver shared that he faced a similar situation to Sergio Perez‘s recent experience with Red Bull’s advisor.
But in Montoya’s case, Marko didn’t recommend a psychologist.
“He sent me to an ‘energy healer’ because he said my speed and my stupidity couldn’t possibly coexist,” Montoya explained.
This happened when Montoya was racing for Marko’s own team, years before Red Bull became the powerhouse it is today.
“I remember it well, and I remember exactly how much it cost,” he added. “At the time I was living in an apartment provided by his team, and they were funding my season, so when he said ‘jump’, you jumped.”
The Colombian driver attended one or maybe two sessions, but nothing came of it.
“They had all these little things, including a wand with a gold tip that she used to ‘read energies’.”
When asked if his bill matched what Perez reportedly paid for psychological help, Montoya painted a vivid picture of his financial situation back then.
“No — but for the money I had back then, it felt like it. It was like charging Checo £600,000 instead of £6,000.”
“I spent around $100 at the time, and I had no money at all. I couldn’t even afford a car — I was getting around by bus, and sometimes I didn’t even take the bus; I used rollerblades to save money.”
That $100 represented a significant portion of his budget.
“I travelled to races with the team, and now imagine spending $100 — basically a month’s groceries.”
## Perez discloses huge psychologist bill picked up by Helmut Marko
In a recent appearance on the Cracks Podcast, Perez revealed that after struggling in his first few races with Red Bull, he received similar advice from team management.
“As soon as I arrived at Red Bull, in the first few races when the results weren’t coming, they told me: ‘What you need is a psychologist. You have to see a psychologist.'”
Unlike Montoya, Perez was open to the idea. “I was completely open to it, so I agreed.”
Reportedly, Marko ended up covering the cost of these sessions for Perez.
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