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driver profile
driver bio > > > Juan Montoya
Team Williams
Date of Birth 1975-09-20
Nationality Colombian
Car Number 6
Marital Status Engaged
personal profile
Juan Pablo Montoya's formula1 career began in 1997 when he combined his full time racing duties in formula 3000, where he finished second that year to Ricardo Zonta, with a test driving role at Williams.
In 1998, he concentrated fully on his formula 3000 assault as he had joined a new team, Super Nova, and managed to take the title after a good season long tussle with current Sauber driver, Nick Heidfeld.
Although Montoya was on a long-term contract with Williams, the team opted to "lend" his services to the US CART team, Chip Ganassi Racing, and take its star driver, Alex Zanardi, to partner Ralf Schumacher for the 1999 season.
Interestingly, the fortunes of Zanardi and Montoya could not have been more different: the highly-rated Italian, who had taken two CART titles by that year and was lauded for his aggressive driving, scored no points in his Williams debut and was released by the Grove team at the end of the season. Montoya, by contrast, took to CART like a fish to water and won the championship in his first year in a commanding way.
The 2000 season brought a lot of speculation as to whether Frank Williams would bring Montoya back to the team and give him a race seat but instead opted to sign a new young talent named Jenson Button. In the end, Montoya stayed with the Ganassi team for 2000, and while it proved considerably less successful than his first year in the series, the Colombian managed to take another highly acclaimed motor racing prize: the Indianapolis 500.
In 2001 Montoya finally made his formula1 race debut and although the first half of the 2001 season proved difficult for the new Williams race driver, the Colombian finally managed to put several solid and consistent performances in the latter half of the year. Only mechanical failures, such as those experienced in Germany while in a commanding lead, robbed the native from Bogotá of further success.
Despite this, however, Montoya still took a victory at the Italian Grand Prix in his maiden year in formula1, as well as three pole positions, earning praise not only from his team boss and technical director, but also from the formula1 community at large.
2002 will probably be even better for Montoya as he is expected by many to be a serious title challenger and a real threat to the hegemony of Michael Schumacher and Ferrari given the ever-improving BMW Williams package.
career highlights
2001 Full time formula1 drive with BMW Williams. Starts off badly making several mistakes in early races but improves as the season progresses and takes one victory and the pole positions in his rookie year.
2000 Competes in CART championship for the Chip Ganassi team, with less success than the previous year. 3 victories and 6 pole positions. Wins the Indianapolis 500 at his first attempt.
1999 CART FedEX Series Champion. 7 wins and 7 pole positions. He is the youngest ever champion and takes victory on his first attempt.
1998 FIA International F3000 Champion.
1997 Runner up in FIA F3000 Championship. Williams test driver.
1996 Marlboro Masters, Zandvoort - 4th place. British Formula 3 - 2 wins. Won the Bogota 6 hour race. Invited to race in the Silverstone ITC by Mercedes Benz.
1995 British Formula Vauxhall Championship - 3rd place. Bogota 6 hour race - Class winner.
1994 Karting - Sudam 125 - Winner of class. Barber Saab Championship, USA - 3rd place overall. Prototype Class, Mexico - Pole position and track record. Formula N Class, Mexico - 3 wins out of 5 races. 4 poles.
1993 National Championship Tournamnet Swift GTI - 7 wins out of 8 races, 7 poles.
1992 Attended the Skip Barber course in the USA Copa Formula Renault, Columbia.
1991 World Karting Junior Cup, Laval, France.
1990 World Karting Junior Cup, Lonato, Italy.
1987 to 1989: Karting - Komet Division, where he obtained several titles in local and national junior division.
1986 Karting - Winner of the local and national junior Championship.
1985 Karting - Runner-up of the children's division.
1984 Karting - National Champion of children's division in 1984.
Upcoming sporting events.
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FORMULA 1
Yoong looking Stateside in 2003 14 Oct 2002
Former BAR Co-Founder and Race Operations Director Rick Gorne confirmed that Alex Yoong was looking to the CART and IRL series, as well as weighing up Formula One™ racing possibilities, for 2003.
The Malaysian raced in the last Grand Prix of 2002, Japan, yesterday (Sunday) and it could prove to be the last Formula One race of his career after Minardi boss Paul Stoddart said earlier in the season that Yoong would not be racing for them in 2003, although a test contract was a possibility.
"We are looking at various options for 2003 and beyond. It is possible that he may stay on in Formula 1 either as a test driver with Minardi or another team or even maybe in a full race seat with either Minardi or another team," Gorne said.
"But Championship Auto Racing Teams Series (C.A.R.T.) or the Indy Racing League Series (IRL) in the United States is also a very viable option, especially as the budget required is much lower when compared with Formula 1."
Gorne also confirmed that he has signed up the Malaysian to his management company "Goman" in a long-term contract with immediate effect.
"I have been keeping track with Yoong's progress in the last few years and although he had struggled in the middle of his first full F1 season, he had shown what he is capable of towards the end of the season. I strongly believe Yoong has the potential to succeed in Formula 1," he remarked.
Minardi has an option on Yoong, which the team must exercise before the end of November. As the Stoddart has already said that Yoong would only get a test role with the team next year, the driver has been actively exploring other options. This association with Gorne will no doubt hasten an earlier decision on what Yoong maybe doing next season.
Yoong, who is pleased with the new development, said: "I am very happy to be managed by Rick as his experience in Formula 1 as well as his influence in the States would come in very handy to ensure I get my best shots in my race career."
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