How will Ron and Montoya get along?

[Wrex]

I was just reading Matt Bishop's letters at ITV-F1.com and noticed this one.

How do you think JPM and Ron Dennis will get along? Ron has had a string of drivers with which he has been 'in love', as well as other long-term drivers who also 'recieve his full support'. Given the circumstances that are proported to have initiated JPMs desire to get out of Williams, will he be happy in his new home alongside the favourite son?

Very good question. Ron likes his drivers to know their ABC (Always Be Corporate)... and Juan Pablo is completely dyslexic in this regard. Whatever they say on the record, Williams' management and engineers are pretty fed up with JPM, and they won't be too sorry to see the back of him in 12 months' time... as long as they can find a good enough replacement (Mark Webber?
Giancarlo Fisichella? Rubens Barrichello?).

On the other hand, Frank Williams and Patrick Head are notoriously bad at getting the best out of 'sensitive' drivers, and prefer no-nonsense types such as Alan Jones and Keke Rosberg (respectively, the 1980 world champion for Williams and the 1982 world champion for Williams). McLaren's big cheeses would regard themselves as more skilful man-managers - and they'd be right. All I can say, however, is that they'll have their work cut out with Juan Pablo next year.

And I very much doubt whether Ron will ever fall 'in love' with him, to use your phrase, Richard...

With all the "when will he move?" talk, I thought this was another interesting side.

[Gt_R]

Ron is a respected and experienced man, i'm sure that he would be able to "tame" this fast but wild horse.

really, it is now the job of Ron AND Juan to unleash the full potential of the Mclaren/JPM partnership. It may end up in sour-grapes who knows, but i believe both are professional and capable of making it work.

On one hand, Ron had to change to accept the ways of JPM as well as his style of "in love" with a particular driver...(Mika, and now Kimi), while JPM had to control himself a bit more and his paranoia..it takes 2 hands to clap.

[alonso11]

Why? How does any F1 boss get along with any F1 driver? Do you really know it? Of course in some extreme cases we can guess.For example Dave Richards and JV won't ski together probably while Todt literaly loves MS...this JPM/RD relation is going to be somewhere between this two extremes I think,that's all.I also think that if JPM wins the WC for them then he can afford to behave like he wants to behave and Ron will 'love' him.If he will drive like DC (which is completely unlikely to happen) then no matter how he behaves they will fire him...

[Mr V]

I'm sure that JPM is under no illusions, but Ron is better at man-management than Frank and Patrick.

Ron obviously wants JPM in the car, JPM wants to go there (more out of spite because of what happened at France '03, than money imo).

These 2 don't need to "love" eachother to have a good working relationship.

I'm not denying that Ron favoured Mika and now Kimi over DC, but favourtism or not, both drivers put DC in the shade by their driving skill.

The other thing of course, DC seems happy to roll over and accept the #2 spot, JPM won't, he'll fight with his team mate (presumably Kimi) all the way.

[climb]

Let's consider that JPM is no more a boy; 4 years (they will be 5 when landing to Macs) surely will have taight him much; and be sure that Ron will provide him with the teaching he may still need.

[jetsetter]

While i don't think JPM & Mr. Dennis will ever be friends i think the results JPM achieves will satisfy Ron enough to put up with him.

[Smokey 6 litre]

Originally posted by Gt_R
Ron is a respected and experienced man, i'm sure that he would be able to "tame" this fast but wild horse.

He can't, won't and shouldn't 'tame' Montoya what would be the point of that? it'd be like having a tame attack dog!

Originally posted by Gt_R
..it takes 2 hands to clap.

i can do it with one!

[BootsOntheSide]

Montoya defiantely typifies Williams drivers mroe than McLaren drivers, but he's nto that different from Senna personality-wise, and he did okay at McLaren,e vne though Prost had been there for 4 ultra-successful years. It does depend on the resutls though. SItuations similar to France this year could cause friction though.

[DriverT]

I think they will have to learn to tolerate each other

[RWC]

Honestly i think patrick and frank have done the opposite to their usual in this case-they have looked after the delicate one and ****ed off the tough one.

And i hope ron arranges a 'cheeky' image for montoya-accepts the occasional weirdness otherwise we are all going to be subjected to several years worth of PR speak from a driver who it just DOESN'T suit!