Montoya Sets Title Ground Rules

[Senna 0]

MONTOYA SETS TITLE GROUND RULES

ITV

Juan Pablo Montoya has warned McLaren team-mate Kimi Raikkonen that he will not move over for the Finn if Fernando Alonso looks set to win the world championship during the Brazilian GP.

The Colombian says that if he is in the lead and Alonso is on course to take the title anyway, then he will race to win at Interlagos.

"If Fernando is running third I probably should be able to win the race," he said. "If something changes then I will probably help Kimi again.

"It has been my decision in the last races to help Kimi, and here it's going to be the same thing.

"It is not a matter of team orders or anything, because team orders are not allowed, but you've got to be a team player and that's what I've been doing the last few races.

"But if I'm in a position to win and Fernando's running third I will probably win the race."

Montoya says that his main focus on the weekend is to help McLaren secure the lead in the constructors' championship from Renault.

But he admitted that much depended on how the race shapes up.

"We have to see what happens between Fernando and Kimi here and then take it from there," he said.

"At the moment the main priority, and probably the only realistic one, is just to win the constructors'."

He also told the Brazilian GP press conference of his frustration at not being able to capitalise on his return to form because of the championship situation between Kimi and Alonso.

"It is kind of sad that when things are actually turning around for me to start winning races, I need to start helping Kimi," he said.

"I put myself in that [position].

"I broke my shoulder earlier in the year and the car was very difficult to drive for my driving style.

"We changed the car a lot throughout the year, and in the last few races I have always been as strong or stronger than Kimi.

"It's just sad that I have been helping Kimi. It is sad in a way but you have got to do it."

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Montoya is not a team player and he is not a team leader, ergo he is a bad signing. DC would have done a much better job for McLaren, despite being slower as he would make far fewer mistakes, be more helpful with car development and he would willingly help Kimi when his own championship hopes were effectively dead

[monza gorilla 1]

"If something changes then I will probably help Kimi again."

Have I missed something?

[Senna 0]

"If something changes then I will probably help Kimi again."

Have I missed something?

Montoya's attitude at this stage in the season is utterly disgraceful.

No, I can’t remember an instance either…I can however recall many mistakes by JPM which helped Alonso no-end!

[bajo39 0]

Montoya's attitude at this stage in the season is utterly disgraceful.

No, I can

[Senna 0]

You can trust that the miserable Columbian is attempting to cover up his poor performances in the past few races with the dishonest implication that he was not really slower than Kimi, he was merely helping him in the championship. If you think about it, it's really a wonderful excuse for him as now, any underperfromace relative to his teammate in the remaining races, as we have seen all season, can now be written off with similarly dishonest impications, if not statements, that the Montoya fans will surely lap up.

As Senna pointed out, Montoya has done far more to help Fernando Alonso and Renault than he has to help his teammate or team. As the rumours prior to the season suggested, and the races contested this season verify, Montoya is anything but a teamplayer.

Indeed.

[schumi13 0]

Montoya's attitude at this stage in the season is utterly disgraceful.

No, I can

[bajo39 0]

Rubbish. He has 90% of the time been the victim. I say if he never had his mysterious injury then he would have been right up there with both of them and it could have been his year this year.

When has Montoya shown himself to be faster than Kimi this season? By the way, the injury was his fault.

[schumi13 0]

When has Montoya shown himself to be faster than Kimi this season? By the way, the injury was his fault.

Ofcourse that was but he hasn't been given the chance to because of his injury. If he was infront or near abouts Kimi in the championship after Hochenheim for instance then there would be a 3 way fight for the title. By the way wasn't he faster today in practice? And in Germany in quali both McLaren's were struggling through that last corner.... Montoya was just pushing a bit too hard though. Not to say Kimi is any better at doing so.... e.g Germany (Europe)

[bajo39 0]

Ofcourse that was but he hasn't been given the chance to because of his injury. If he was infront or near abouts Kimi in the championship after Hochenheim for instance then there would be a 3 way fight for the title. By the way wasn't he faster today in practice? And in Germany in quali both McLaren's were struggling through that last corner.... Montoya was just pushing a bit too hard though. Not to say Kimi is any better at doing so.... e.g Germany (Europe)

I will concede that point Schumi13, Montoya is occasionally faster than his team-mate in practice. But in the races, he has never been faster than Kimi and has only ever outperformed him once, in Italy. Of course, that result came from Kimi's spin not Montoya's pace which was actually slower. The qualy battle is much closer at 11-4 in Kimi's favour, because of the Columbian's insistence on low fuel, but that is hardly indicative of a close battle had the Columbian not injured himself.

[Senna 0]

I will concede that point Schumi13, Montoya is occasionally faster than his team-mate in practice. But in the races, he has never been faster than Kimi and has only ever outperformed him once, in Italy. Of course, that result came from Kimi's spin not Montoya's pace which was actually slower. The qualy battle is much closer at 11-4 in Kimi's favour, because of the Columbian's insistence on low fuel, but that is hardly indicative of a close battle had the Columbian not injured himself.

Indeed.

[UrKo 0]

When has Montoya shown himself to be faster than Kimi this season?

He was slower in the beginning of the season, but after the injury he came back strong....but because of FIA's stupidity at Monaco, Montreal and McLaren poor reliability he was forced to help Kimi!

But we all know that Alonso is a WC this year, so why help Kimi if there is a constructor title that can be won.

[Senna 0]

but because of FIA's stupidity at Monaco, Montreal

It was Montoya's culpable stupidity! He was rightly punished but I thought the punishments were too lenient, at Monaco he could have caused a horrendous accident...

and McLaren poor reliability he was forced to help Kimi!

Montoya has helped Alonso far more than he has helped Kimi! Montoya has proved that he is neither a team leader nor a team player and he has been a huge disappointment this year. McLaren's unreliability has prevented Raikkonen from winning the title, it has not forced JPM to help his team leader, this is something he blatantly refuses to do.

[demonhorse 0]

Rubbish. He has 90% of the time been the victim. I say if he never had his mysterious injury then he would have been right up there with both of them and it could have been his year this year.

I agree, he would have beaten Kimi, but maybe not Alonso...

[Senna 0]

I agree, he would have beaten Kimi, but maybe not Alonso...

[cavallino 2]

Why should Montoya go along with Bald Dennis' team orders if the championship is gone anyway. kudos to him for his uncompromising attitude, and beating Kimi fair and square this weekend.

[jjoseph 0]

Montoya's attitude at this stage in the season is utterly disgraceful.

No, I can

[Wez 0]

Montoya's races have been sacrificed for Kimi on several occations this season! Spa & Canada the two most notable!

[bajo39 0]

Montoya's races have been sacrificed for Kimi on several occations this season! Spa & Canada the two most notable!

...In your imagination only.

[monza gorilla 1]

...In your imagination only.

Agreed.

Nice avatar Bajo. Brabham BT42? Don't know the driver though, to my chagrin.

Reutemann? Or Carlos Pace?

[Wez 0]

...In your imagination only.

Sure Bajo, Whatever makes you happy

[bajo39 0]

Agreed.

Nice avatar Bajo. Brabham BT42? Don't know the driver though, to my chagrin.

Reutemann? Or Carlos Pace?

Thank you Monza. I am not surprised you could not name the driver but you made an excellent call on the car! The photo is of Eppie Wietzes competing the 1974 Canadian GP. Oh and the official name of the car in that livery was the 'Team Canada Brabham BT42'.

[monza gorilla 1]

Thank you Monza. I am not surprised you could not name the driver but you made an excellent call on the car! The photo is of Eppie Wietzes competing the 1974 Canadian GP. Oh and the official name of the car in that livery was the 'Team Canada Brabham BT42'.

Thanks for putting me out of my misery . I'd guessed the year and venue (Mosport?). The BT42 is one of my favourite F1 cars of the era.

[narain fan 0]

Thank you Monza. I am not surprised you could not name the driver but you made an excellent call on the car! The photo is of Eppie Wietzes competing the 1974 Canadian GP. Oh and the official name of the car in that livery was the 'Team Canada Brabham BT42'.

thank god u changed ur avatar. i could not bare to see sato staring at my face each time i read ur post

[bajo39 0]

thank god u changed ur avatar. i could not bare to see sato staring at my face each time i read ur post

[Senna 0]

Thank you Monza. I am not surprised you could not name the driver but you made an excellent call on the car! The photo is of Eppie Wietzes competing the 1974 Canadian GP. Oh and the official name of the car in that livery was the 'Team Canada Brabham BT42'.

Yes a Canadian GP one-off!

Monza, is your avatar a picture of Brambilla competing at the 1975 German Grand Prix?