Juan Montoya to F1...Will he deliver?

[JeremySmith]

Good evening!

So after reading my daily fix of F1 news it appears that Mr Montoya is sounding rather like our friend DC.What are your thoughts? Is he over rated? For a driver that can hardly complete an entire race this season, I would think he would be better off preparing himself to drive that new Williams of his...Or will it be another case of hype, remember M Andretti, although his misfortunes were beyond his control, most of the time...

[Sharky]

Oh....he will deliver. Make no mistake. He will be the guy to look for in the future. He can handle the car like something I've never seen in a long time. The kid is raw talent.

Besides....it's true that he's had 10 DFN's this season but he can't be held accountable for any of those DNF's. Besides....he has shown that he's still the best driver. I recently saw the statistics and so far he's led 1100+ laps this year and I think he's followed by paul tracy with 350+.

Besides....people didn't start talking about him last year. He's been highly regarded by many people for quite a long time. And unlike Andretti.....this guy was meant to go to F1....he has done all that an F1 driver does...race Karts, race Vauxhall lotus and race British F3.....he just made an extra stop at CART.

[Valve Bounce]

HE HAS THE RIGHT MIND SET. He considers TGF is beatable, and that is the way to think. He does not think he can win the WDC in hte first year. Well, I thought Jacques could, tipped him to, and he nearly did. Only time will tell. I think he will have greater reliability at Williams, so any DNF's will not be the car's fault. And that BMW......., it is going to be some engine next year, mark my words.

[downforce]

we're markin them VB we're markin them!!!

[Nuvolari]

He will deliver if he's in decent equipment.

His record of retirements this season has nothing to do with his talent and everything to do with mechanical troubles and questionable team strategy.

[kuchi]

I think he will deliver, and he will be outstanding.I just can´t understand why you guys can´t figure that all jp´s DNF´s are not his fault!!!. And if the bmw is going to be as strong as it is rumored, well it´s the perfect package. Montoya and williams are going to be one of the best combinations of all times.

[gp19]

Mr Montoya + Mr Zanardi = 0
CART + F1 = JV


Have a super day gp19

[kuchi]

What are you trying to say gp19, oh off course i got it.

Mathematically when a positive number and it´s arithmetic inverse are summed, the result is 0. Well I think we can apply this to racing too. Oh yes that figures.

Mr Montoya(Next F1 superstar) + Mr Zanardi(Past F1 superunsucces driver) = 0. As for example an easy one

3000 + (-3000) = 0

[JeremySmith]

Yes I know he has had some very bad luck this year..It's all the hype..I don't trust hype..Let his driving do the talking..F1 is not CART...he was not that fast as a test pilot for Williams, and Frank has made this mistake before with A Zarnardi who was fantastic in a champ car,or whatever they are called these days..I wish him the best of luck, as I do J Herbert...Sorry to loose Herbert..Nice guy...Good pilot in the right car...I think they are all very talented otherwise they would not be driving in F1...

[Jay]

I've explained my position before that I think he is a little overrated.

In that same interview her also said that people should not expect him to win in his first year. Listen to him! He is most certainly right.

[Minardi fan]

Minardi fan's one-word answer to the thread: No.

[Ralf's Girl]

I've read that he thinks he can get the F1 title before too long.

Dreams are nice, Monty - till you WAKE UP.

[Bononi]

I truly hope he succeeds.
But only time can tell. I have seen many promises biting the dust, but usually a driver that has the mark of a champion, has always a uphill seasons through the years rather than good and bad turns. In this way I tink JPM is a special case, because his CART seasons is break in the line to F1. Wich can mean nothing or very much.
I like his mind of beating TGF, but ALL of us think this way. Unfortunately, only some can dare to do this...
Anyway I would not bet my money on him this very first year. In fact if I was him, I will start 2001 focusing on learning rather than beating.

[Jay]

I have seen him up close and how he treats people. I hope he crashes big time! (in a metaphorical way)

[EERO]

He is a rare talent and though it will take him a season to settle in, I have no doubt that he will be a real force. He will give Ralfie fits and unsettle the team, but as Williams and BMW continue to improve, I think we cn expect some surprises. I also think that when Button returns to Williams in 2003, his teamate won't be Ralf.

[AL Racing]

Hopefully he will as good as Schumacher, and then I'm locking forward to a great WDC fight between Schuey,Villeneuve,Hakkinen and Montoya.

But things can go wrong, look when Zanardi joined Williams, we was destroyed because of total un-relaibility, I don't doubt Zanardi could be faster than Ralf, he showed it when he got a wekeend right, at Monza. The important thing is to build up your feel, setup and comfident in the car, Alessandro never had the chance, Button did and so hopefully Montoya.

[Dannyboy]

I think JPM will have his hands full trying to beat Ralf next year. He's been in the best team in CART for two years and that doesn't prove much. I'm sure he'll be fine but don't expect anything spectacular.

[Liz]

With so many people cheering him to defeat, he will win just to spite you all. Nothing like a bunch of naysayers to fire a man up.

He's going to be worth watching. He is worth watching now, he's been worth watching in the past, and why should he change?

No comparison with Mikey - JPM didn't have a father to buy him a tryout and he doesn't have a wife who insists he live half a world away from his work. He's got his mind on racing and racing is what he will do.

[Peter Mallett]

I don't read many in this thread "cheering him to defeat" Liz. I think the balance of this thread is saying "let's wait and see." We all want new people to succeed otherwise what encouragement is there for new drivers to even try?

You are obviously on the side of the optimists whilst I and a number of others fall on the side of the conservatives.

I wouldn't mind betting that in a year's time we will be discussing the relative merits of Cart compared to F1, all because of the results gained/lost by JPM.

The comparison (made elsewhere) with Zanardi is a little unfair because Zanardi was a very poor "also ran" in his original F1 days and I think we agreed a year or so ago that he (Zanardi) was only in F1 again to boost Bernie's chances of returning to the USA. That was achieved so I think JPM is possibly the first Cart driver (including JV) since Mario Andretti (and possibly Danny Sullivan), to gain an F1 drive on merit and not the corporate promotion that his name brings.

Let's wait and see shall we?

[Dino IV]

I fully agree with Sharky.
Montoya is not "possibly the first Cart driver (...) to gain an F1 drive on merit", Peter. He was already F1-worthy when Williams signed him in 1998. His two seasons in CART were caused by Frank's focus on Zanardi and trading JPM for him with Chip Ganassi. 1998 was not the time and the place where teambosses like Williams would make Button-decisions and consider Zanardi an "also ran". After 1999 and Zanardi's troubles Williams wanted JPM back but now way Chip let his champ been snatch from him. So JPM didn't make it this year either. But next year he will ... and that's not an American driver entering European finest on merit. That's an European driver finally making his entrance after a two year walk in the park, waiting for his teamboss to get their deal right.

[Peter Mallett]

Originally posted by Dino IV
I fully agree with Sharky.
Montoya is not "possibly the first Cart driver (...) to gain an F1 drive on merit", Peter. He was already F1-worthy when Williams signed him in 1998. His two seasons in CART were caused by Frank's focus on Zanardi and trading JPM for him with Chip Ganassi. 1998 was not the time and the place where teambosses like Williams would make Button-decisions and consider Zanardi an "also ran". After 1999 and Zanardi's troubles Williams wanted JPM back but now way Chip let his champ been snatch from him. So JPM didn't make it this year either. But next year he will ... and that's not an American driver entering European finest on merit. That's an European driver finally making his entrance after a two year walk in the park, waiting for his teamboss to get their deal right.

OK. But I'm not sure of the relevance of European or American because I believe he's Colombian.

I'll wait and hopefully see two or three real young talents in 2001.

[JeremySmith]

I wish Juan Pablo Montoya the VERY best of luck at Williams,I just hope that Sir Frank hangs in with him.. That team has a tendency to look elsewhere to soon of late...He will take the focus off M Schumacher as far as being the "Most" arrogant pilot in F1..as he is often accused...I think Mr Schumacher is just very pragmatic..Get used to the fact that he is the WDC for 2000.

Good day everyone!

[robert2000]

He's said he can win the world championship very soon and that he's going to thrash Ralf Schumacher. I just think he's getting a little too optimistic so early.

[Dino IV]

Not in terms of nationality ofcourse but in terms of racing education. His way to F1 is as everyone of the F1-drivers through all the European formulae topped with the F3000 title. Compare that to the American education his fellow CART-competitors had and you'll see the difference between European and American education, taking into mind how many F1-drivers got there in the American way and how many got there in an European way.
Regarding the same backgrounds for the CART-drivers, IMO Montoya can be considered a European driver.