McLaren Backs Montoya Title Challenge

McLaren CEO Martin Whitmarsh has talked up Juan Pablo Montoya's chances of challenging for the 2006 Formula 1 world championship.

Speaking in a teleconference interview to coincide with the first run of the team's brand new MP4-21 challenger at Barcelona, Whitmarsh talked effusively of the Colombian's winter preparations and mindset.

Montoya's McLaren team-mate Kimi Raikkonen has been linked to drives with Ferrari and Toyota in 2007, and while there is every chance that the Finn could stay at McLaren it appears that he is coming under pressure to commit to a decision.

Particularly since only one of them can partner Fernando Alonso, who joins the team in 2007.

"They are both proud and competitive race drivers," said Whitmarsh when asked if he had seen a change of attitude in his drivers since the Alonso announcement.

"I sense, although not as a result of the announcement, that Juan Pablo has got the bit between his teeth.

"He has tried to take another step, he is raising his game and he is working like hell away from the car with his engineers and trainers."

Whitmarsh pointed to the second half of the 2005 season, where Montoya outperformed his team-mate on several occasions, as a barometer for the Colombian's competitive level.

"I sensed that towards the end of last he was able to show form that was quicker than Kimi," he said.

"Juan Pablo's self belief and confidence is higher than ever. He believes he can beat Kimi."

Whitmarsh also admitted that McLaren had changed the characteristics of the MP4-20 to suit Montoya better in the second half of last year.

Of Raikkonen's state of mind Whitmarsh would only say: "I imagine that Kimi feels he can beat Juan Pablo too."

When asked why McLaren had signed Alonso, Whitamarsh's answer appeared to back this up: "The opportunity arose and we saw someone who was willing to commit to the long-term future of the team."

James Allen's view: "I took part in this teleconference and it appeared to me that McLaren is applying serious pressure in several areas and primarily on Raikkonen. Pressure is being applied on Kimi to make clear his future plans and up his performance levels. As a result I think that the battle between him and Montoya will be fantastic in 2006."



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GPGSL
Christel VXR: S12 onwards | Wins: 3 | Poles: 3 | Fastest Laps: 2

as Kimi is probably leaving at the end of the season, they're putting their eggs in JPM's basket now.

"I sensed that towards the end of last he was able to show form that was quicker than Kimi," he said.

really? i didn't sense that.

---

RIP Jules, never to be forgotten. #KeepFightingMichael

Lucasinio Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Whitmarsh pointed to the second half of the 2005
> season, where Montoya outperformed his team-mate
> on several occasions, as a barometer for the
> Colombian's competitive level.
>
> "I sensed that towards the end of last he was able
> to show form that was quicker than Kimi," he
> said.
>


what ? Montoya definately didn't outperfom Kimi in any gp.if he did, feel free to remind me Norbert Haug told to finnish newspaper today that McLaren wants to keep Kimi and he knows that they need to give him a fast and reliable car so that he will stay with them .



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 01/24/2006 12:59AM by vesuvius.

Apart from Turkey where he set the fastest lap but somehow he still managed to bugger it up at the end

zeppelin101 Wrote:
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> Apart from Turkey where he set the fastest lap but
> somehow he still managed to bugger it up at the
> end
>
>
>
>
> OH MY GOD! England have won something! It won't
> last, quick, get wasted!!!!
> (\__/) Beware the evil bunny|
> (='.'=) <|
> ("_("
> ROCK GOD
> Got music...
> Got soul


well yes he was fast in there but Kimi was faster whole weekend and he only didn't made fastest lap because McLaren team told him to safe the car and engine .

I'm sorry but Montoya did begin to start showing he could hold it against Kimi, especially at a point in the season where he pretty much had to help Kimi for the championship.

Let me open your eyes people: Monza? Montoya won with a damaged tyre...Spa, he was doing better than Raikkonen, and team orders let Kimi get in front (and let's not discuss this, cause it's well known) China were pretty even, In France Juan was catching up on Kimi untill his car stoppped.

Maybe not at the beggining, but at the end Juan Pablo could match his pace, and some times be better than him, like Brazil again. Kimi had the upperhand in Japan, but we wont know what would have happened if Jacques and him didn't crash, as well as Silverstone, when Kimi's engine stopped

calimbo Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Let me open your eyes people: Monza? Montoya won
> with a damaged tyre...Spa, he was doing better
> than Raikkonen, and team orders let Kimi get in
> front (and let's not discuss this, cause it's well
> known) China were pretty even, In France Juan was
> catching up on Kimi untill his car stoppped.
>
> Maybe not at the beggining, but at the end Juan
> Pablo could match his pace, and some times be
> better than him, like Brazil again. Kimi had the
> upperhand in Japan, but we wont know what would
> have happened if Jacques and him didn't crash, as
> well as Silverstone, when Kimi's engine stopped
>
>


Erm , Monza , Kimi was faster untill that tyre problem , Juan finished the race on thatt tyre yes but kimi had it at the half way of the race so he needed to change , France , I can't remember he was coming back to Kimi , and even if he was in Spa quicker , he buggered iy 100 % up so he shouldn't win that race .

brazil he was faster, spa he says he was even though kimi looked to be. Hungry i think he was and canada he was.

we dont really know about silverstone or italy kimi started to far back.

marcl Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> brazil he was faster, spa he says he was even
> though kimi looked to be. Hungry i think he was
> and canada he was.

maybe an intentional typo? lets not get into his hunger and weight

---

RIP Jules, never to be forgotten. #KeepFightingMichael

kimi had some problem with his steering-wheel in montreal

but you are right in some occasions juan did match him or even beated him like brazil....just hope juan is in real form so kimi can have a good fight with him and maybe it will rise mclaren end kimi cause when was the last time kimi had a good team-mate??

Muks_C Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> marcl Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > brazil he was faster, spa he says he was
> even
> > though kimi looked to be. Hungry i think he
> was
> > and canada he was.
>
> maybe an intentional typo? lets not get into his
> hunger and weight
>
>
>
>
>
> --------------------------------------------------
> --------------------------------------------------
> -------
>
>
>
> James Blunt is RUBBISH!
> Show your appreciation for him HERE
>
> Chris Martin wet his bed. It was all yellow!


LOL , you made my day

well yes I forgot Hungary there Montoya was fast but not much faster(if at all) than Kimi also in brazil it was very even (Kimi almost certainly would have won the race without his mistake in qualifying but anyway Montoya deserved that win) .in Italy Kimi was suprisingly much faster than anyone else I mean he had much more fuel onboard in qualifying and he still beated Montoya by 0,2 seconds and same goes for france and silverstone.

anyway overall Kimi was faster than Montoya but I think it will be closer this season

Kimi vs. Juan :
points: 106 60(JPM)
Wins: 7 3 (JPM)
Poles : 5 1 (JPM)
better race positions : 9 7 (JPM)
better qualifying pos. : 12 5 (JPM)
faster laptime in race : 14 2 (JPM)



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 01/24/2006 10:33PM by vesuvius.

Wow....wait up....vesuvius, you're talking about fastest laps, and it doesn't make the race at all...It's about performance, lap by lap, not on fastest lap, cause if it was because of that, then a driver can start the race with fresh tyres and low fuel...

calimbo Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Wow....wait up....vesuvius, you're talking about
> fastest laps, and it doesn't make the race at
> all...It's about performance, lap by lap, not on
> fastest lap, cause if it was because of that, then
> a driver can start the race with fresh tyres and
> low fuel...
>
>


wow ... wait up Calimbo I haven't said anything about race fastest laps .

"Of Raikkonen's state of mind Whitmarsh would only say: "I imagine that Kimi feels he can beat Juan Pablo too."

Must have went something like this

Whitmarsh:"So Kimi,how do you feel about the new season?"

Kimi:""

The whole thing seems to me to be more like a gentle nudge towards Montoya actually in the sense of him having to keep up with his teammate.

---

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/24/2006 10:38PM by tripleM.

@Vesuvius: then why are you talking about 0.2 sec faster?

Montoya was as fast as Kimi, if not faster on those occasions mentioned above. Let's not forget we will never know if he was going as fast as he could at Istambul and Spa for example because the team goal was to help Kimi win the championship.

calimbo Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> @Vesuvius: then why are you talking about 0.2 sec
> faster?
>
>


well you should read what I said earlier .I told kimi beated Montoya in Monza's qualifying by 0,2 seconds even if he had more fuel onboard ( Kimi should have lost by 0,5 seconds to Montoya with that much more fuel onboard) but Kimi had an engine penalty and he started from 11th place and still he was coming to second place (he would have won because of team orders) and he set the fastest laptime of the race so he was without a doubt tha fastest man of the weekend even if Montoya won the race and same goes for france and silverstone .



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/24/2006 10:52PM by vesuvius.

Montoya has had a year to acclimatise himself at Mclaren, so this year should be a better indication of his true pace compared with Kimi. I still think that Kimi is the fastest driver in F1 but JPM can run him close.