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View Full Version : Montoya Confirmed at McLaren For '05



chop456
11-17-03, 09:50 AM
http://f1.racing-live.com/en/headlines/news/detail/031117121656.shtml



Montoya with Ron Dennis

eam McLaren Mercedes is pleased to announce that Colombian driver Juan Pablo Montoya (28) will join the team for the 2005 Formula One season.

Juan Pablo Montoya won the International Formula 3000 Championship in 1998 and became the youngest ever CART Champion in 1999 and in the following year he took victory in the prestigious Indianapolis 500 race in his first attempt. He graduated to Formula One in 2001, has claimed three Formula One victories, 11 pole positions and finished third in this years' World Championship.

The Team McLaren Mercedes team will confirm the full 2005 driver line- up at a later date but the team's 2004 Championship challenge will be lead by David Coulthard and Kimi Raikkonen.

“We want to win races and World Championships, and in order to do so we have to plan for the future whilst applying every effort in the short term”, commented Ron Dennis, CEO and Chairman, TAG McLaren Group. “The opportunity to sign a talent like Juan Pablo was too good to miss, and there is already a considerable amount of anticipation within our team about 2005.”

“Juan Pablo has achieved a considerable amount of success in his career and we are certain that he will add to this with Team McLaren Mercedes. We are certainly looking forward to seeing what he can do in one of our cars and I believe that it's a prospect that can't fail to excite Formula One fans around the world. However until that happens we will be focusing all efforts on our 2004 Championship challenge.”

“Juan Pablo has become well established in International motor racing within a short time and will fit well into our team”, said Norbert Haug, Vice-President, Mercedes- Benz Motorsport. “We have been convinced of Juan Pablo's great talent since he drove a Mercedes-Benz C-Class touring car in the ITC round at Silverstone in 1996.”

“I am thrilled to be joining Team McLaren Mercedes”, said Juan Pablo Montoya. “The team is consistently a strong World Championship contender and has a fantastic heritage. It's a great opportunity for me and I'm really looking forward to the first time I will be able to drive one of their cars. To join them is an amazing challenge and experience which I plan to fully enjoy.”

“However, my short term aim is to concentrate 100 percent on winning the 2004 World Championship.”

Warlock!
11-17-03, 10:01 AM
Righteous. I hope Mike sticks around in the Red Car (I always say "Red Car" because I always forget where the double 'r' is located in the name of Jean Todt's team, and I don't wanna look stoopid... well... stoopid-er) thru 2005. Could be epic.

Warlock!

Foxman
11-17-03, 10:58 AM
Lets hope McLaren can give JPM the proper machinery to do the job. Go Juan!

mapguy
11-17-03, 11:04 AM
So next year is going to be the last of David Coulthard's "This is my year" press conferences?

rabbit
11-17-03, 02:51 PM
Kimi AND Juan Pablo?! :eek:

I hate to make comparisons with legends past, but it will be interesting to see where this stacks up with the team of Senna and Prost. :thumbup:

Dr. Corkski
11-17-03, 03:59 PM
Go Kimi. :D

Cam
11-17-03, 11:43 PM
I dont think we have seen this saga played out to the end yet........... :saywhat:

Dirty Sanchez
11-18-03, 04:09 PM
Originally posted by Cam
I dont think we have seen this saga played out to the end yet........... :saywhat: Sorry Cam but...

http://members.optusnet.com.au/lanemeyer/forum/forumpics/obvious.jpg

Don Quixote
11-18-03, 04:35 PM
What will happen when JPM gets a call giving him the team order to move over so Ralfie boy can go by? This could be fun. And another rhetorical question: how can you tell when DC is a lame duck driver?

indyfan31
11-18-03, 05:34 PM
A whole season with a bunch of Williams mechanics that know you're leaving for another team anyway, how you like to be a fly on the wall in that garage next year?

Ziggy
11-18-03, 05:41 PM
I dont think going to McLarens is such a good decision. The Williams car is a very good car, winning regular is just around the corner. I would think that given Juan's performance, he could leverage BMW into some Ralphie bucks. Staying on while serving notice that he elgondie in '05 will not set well with the total effort needed to beat Ferarri.

Ziggy
PS - Go Juan

Cam
11-19-03, 12:01 AM
JPM is going to a team that looks after their drivers.... Frank is only interested in ONE thing....

Oh..... and Crapus..... (Score -1) Redundant. :gomer: Had to be said though!