Montoya Interviews

[Led ZeppF1]

ITV F1's James Allen caught up with Juan Pablo Montoya at Barcelona testing. The Colombian launch his thoughts on the new season, Schumy, moving to McLaren, and about his new team mate.

He said: I don’t have to beat Kimi. I’m not thinking about that. He wants it just as badly as I do. It’s like when I came to Williams, for the first six months Ralf blew me away and since then I seem to have had the better of him.

http://www.itv-f1.com/itv_team/itvteam_story/19794

[Glen]

This is interesting - his attitude towards Schumacher:

"Hopefully we will be in a position where we don’t have to pass Michael, maybe we can start ahead of him and score more points."

Memories of Monza keeping him up at night?

[Led ZeppF1]

Originally posted by Glen
Memories of Monza keeping him up at night?

I think he wants to score more point than Michael from the start, and don't have to pass Michael's points.

Also interesting, Juan certainly doesn't lack for confidence.

[Speed]

"It’s like when I came to Williams, for the first six months Ralf blew me away and since then I seem to have had the better of him."

[Gt_R]

That may explain why he's completely shocked and angered when Ralf beat him at France maybe?

Funny he claims MS got the faster car and the best of everything..obviously neglecting that the drivers of the "fastest" car of last year failed to win the WDC, and how a whole load of rules/regulations were changed to allow others, among them JPM, to lauch a more credible fight to MS.

[Speed]

France was like Austria for Ferrari team, not always best driver wins...

[Gt_R]

*cough* Speed you serious???? Austria 2004 the right man won...France 2004 the right man won...so what's wrong?

[Gt_R]

I mean, what more does a driver want? JPM occasionally makes it sound as if he's let down by machinery (claiming that's why somebody else won). True, the machinery may screw up on him a couple times, but also, it's the machinery that puts him up there in the first place.

As Mika had said, it's hard for all sportsman to be humble and look to themselves for mistakes. And that's where many drivers cant exploit their potential..Paying lip-service ("Oh yeah..i screwed up" while doing nothing else abt it) is easy, improving oneself is hard when you can't justify improving yourself in the first place.

You see, when JPM first came, fans claim he'd show MS the way to victory...MS will eat dust, etc... JPM didn't. Fans excused it to "inexperience" and bad car. Everyone bought the excuse and moved on.

Fans then fine-tune their praise by saying JPM will trash MS if in the same equipment..

Then...now when JPM is experienced and had a BETTER car (or rather a BETTER package), and he still didn't win...(not even come close in the no. of races won), fans say it's down to poor reliability, bad pitwork, bad team, bad luck...

What more does he need? How much more luck does he require?He came with one of the best teams, had some of the best people working behind him, had a great engine, had a less brilliant teammate, had a huge fan base, had a BEAUTIFUL wife (oops...off point )..and even had a specially hired experienced and well-regarded engineer Frank to serve him... and still his less impressive than expected season is blamed on everything else but him.

How many drivers would die for that position? Other drivers didn't get that position simply because they aren't as good as JPM. Hence, nobody felt that JPM's underserving of that seat. But truth is, for all JPM's promises and talent, he strangely can't apply it consistently and show the world what he has hidden under that helmet.

A couple of poles and a couple of great overtaking moves doesn't win WDCs nor carve a chapter in the history books. A couple of wins may be impressive in a BAR, Jaguar, etc but in a Williams it's almost a given.

JPM's great talent is undeniable and he CAN beat MS in straight fights.. (though i questioned it in his first year) but to downplay his responsibility in his less than stellar performance last year (and blame dear Bishop-in another thread) is unfair to the team and himself.

It's true that there's little point in spending thousands of hours in testings and millions of dollars to look for an extra 0.1sec in performance when your driver can simply unlock a 0.5sec improvement by improving himself.

2004 looks bright. No doubt JPM will be a main challenger. He has the self-belief to succeed, but self-belief can be his downfall too.

[Wrex]

Originally posted by Speed
"It’s like when I came to Williams, for the first six months Ralf blew me away and since then I seem to have had the better of him."

I dont think either part of that statement is really true. Ralf was generally faster than Jian at the start, and Juan has generally been faster since.

2003 though saw Juan fall off the boil in Quals, and this is where he really needs to get the better of Ralf. He may have had 7 poles in 2002, but over the season he was actually slower!

Most great drivers cream their team-mate, not just score a few more points. I would like to see him work harder and put whoever his team mate is into the shadows.

[grumpy1]

Someone should tell JPM that Ralfie is going to be gunning for him big time this year.JPM knows what hes doing next year but Ralfie as yet is not confirmed a drive for 05.That will make him dangerous as he will want to shove it into Franks face as well as impress a new team.JPM would do well to keep his mouth shut and head down for the rest of the year as all hes doing is giving Ralfie motivation to kick his @rse.

The Grumpy1

[Mr V]

Originally posted by Gt_R
I mean, what more does a driver want? JPM occasionally makes it sound as if he's let down by machinery (claiming that's why somebody else won). True, the machinery may screw up on him a couple times, but also, it's the machinery that puts him up there in the first place.

Looking at JPM's reliability record since joining F1, it certainly hampered his WDC chances, 2003 especially. 2001 and 2002, the Ferrari was too advanced that reliability was not an issue when it came to the WDC.

As for your last sentance, sure, machinery plays a vital part (the most vital part) afterall, would Michael have acheived 6 WDC's in a Jordan, Jaguar or Minardi? Not a chance, however, he would have made them go quicker than they ever have done. But the reason that these guys are in the seat in the first place is due to the fact that the team managers saw something in them that put them in that seat in the first place.

[Led ZeppF1]

I just read Montoya interviews in this months F1 Racing. Very interesting. He talk about his rivals, the FW26, Ron and Frank, race penalties, Michael, and money…

http://www.autosport.com/f1racing.asp?fnid=109

[Led ZeppF1]

For instance, I like these part:

Who are your top three current drivers? Please, I hasten to add, include yourself in the list.

“Oh no,” he replies (unpredictable or what?), “I'd rather name my top three rivals: Kimi [Räikkönen], Michael [Schumacher] and… with Fernando [Alonso] and Ralf [Schumacher] tying for third.”

So, he rate Alonso and Ralf in same level. Interesting, isn't it?

[Gt_R]

If he ranks Alonso and Ralf at the same level, effectively to me JPM ranked top 3.. because i rank JPM ahead of Ralf.

But it's really a hard call. While MS is clearly far better (if we look beyond pure speed) than the rivals, we have a group of very equal and impressive drivers in the class of Alonso/JPM/Kimi/Rubens..and another in Button/Webber.

So it's really hard to get a top 3.

[Skam85]

Originally posted by Gt_R
had a BEAUTIFUL wife (oops...off point

First of all, what do u mean HAD?


and are you talking about Ralf or JPM???

[Gt_R]

..has...

I'd take Connie over Ralfie's lady any day.

[Led ZeppF1]

Me, too.

[chunterer]

The Montoya debate will rage on for ages, because most people see statistics as being the only way to judge a driver's ultimate credentials.

There is little doubt that on a given day/race most will agree that he is the fastest guy on the grid, but results don't always bear it out.

I think everyone's missing the point about him though. He's already said somewhere a couple years ago (or maybe someone said it third hand after a chat with him, can't remember) that he is interested mainly in the joy of racing and battling. As long as he believes he's fastest and usually can prove it, that;s his aim. He has Schuey as his yardstick and in his mind he's already proven to himself that he can beat him in battle. For a pure racer, in today's 'slim chance of overtaking culture' that may well be enough in his mind?

I'm sure he'd like to win as many races and titles as possible but he's similar to Gilles in that he'd rather win things by beating, literally, the other drivers. He's got a bit more careful over a race distance over the last year or so, but his way of winning is to outrace the other drivers.

If he doesn't he'll go away and do something else through choice.

[Gt_R]

Quote:"..that he'd (JPM) rather win things by beating, literally, the other drivers."

Care to explain how can anybody win things (i suppose WDC) WITHOUT beating other drivers?

[monaroCountry]

JPM couldnt get the f1 gig while racing in the lower formulas in europe. What makes him different from other failed racers, apart from being popular in America? (early years). IMHO JPM is not even close to the best driver in F1. The car is fast but the driver needs to improve.

[monaroCountry]

Big TGF didnt always get the best car, just think back when he first started in ferrari. What made M shumi great was his ability to focus the team and develoup a championship car. JPM have always had a good car (I dont believe he earnt it).

[Mr V]

Originally posted by monaroCountry
JPM couldnt get the f1 gig while racing in the lower formulas in europe. What makes him different from other failed racers, apart from being popular in America? (early years).

MMMM, studied JPM's early career? F3000 champion ring any bells? As for America, he was always going to end up in Formula 1 dispite going to America. The (rookie) CART championship and Indy 500 winner just meant that he was even more well known before F1 than he proberbly would have been!

[Wrex]

V-Man, you are too easily baited. By a rookie too

[Splatz the Cow]

Didn't he also have the record in CART for most laps led by a rookie in one year.

And win the Indy 500 at his First attempt.

And beat guys like Michael Andretti, Jimmy Vasser, Paul Tracy, Dario Franchitti, Gil de Ferran, Helio Castroneves, Kenny Brack, etc... oh and Christiano da Matta.

[freud]

Originally posted by monaroCountry
Big TGF didnt always get the best car, just think back when he first started in ferrari. What made M shumi great was his ability to focus the team and develoup a championship car. JPM have always had a good car (I dont believe he earnt it).

Its probably better to ignore than to answer this B comment.