Montoya F1 Return?

[mervyn charter]

Would`nt it be marvellous if Montoya could return to Formula One next season. It would certainly generate alot of interest.

I would have thought that teams like BMW, Toyota, Honda, Williams, or Renault would consider him for one of their seats as he would be very marketable, and at 33 should still retain plenty of his undoubted ability.

Despite Juan Pablo stating publicly that he is not interested in F1 I am convinced that if one of these teams seriously went after him he would consider it. Especially as next years Regulation changes gives one of the abovementioned teams the chance to challenge the Top two teams.

Juan Pablo will soon get tired of running around in 33rd place two laps down, on Ovals when he could be showing his true driving skills at the likes of Monaco, Spa and Monza.

[cy bais]

hmmm - he will make f1 races interesting :)

[gloomyDAY]

Stop trying to cause a riot...

Screw it, I'll bite! I love Juan, but he's too fat to fit in a F1 car.

[ShiftingGears]

Juan Pablo will soon get tired of running around in 33rd place two laps down, on Ovals when he could be showing his true driving skills at the likes of Monaco, Spa and Monza.

He was showing his driving skills at McLaren, where far more often than not, he was getting flogged by his teammate and making a habit of stupid errors at critical times.

[Ranger]

He's said plenty of times since 2006 that he wouldn't consider an F1 return, and that's it, really.

[F1boat]

I think that the trouble is that even running 33rd at NASCAR for him is more fun than running 4th in Formula 1. I can see him returning to Indy Car racing, though.

[555-04Q2]

Would`nt it be marvellous if Montoya could return to Formula One next season.

:erm: NO !!!

[PolePosition_1]

He was showing his driving skills at McLaren, where far more often than not, he was getting flogged by his teammate and making a habit of stupid errors at critical times.

People say he was slaughtered by Kimi, but I think thats an unfair perception.

In those days we had the silly qualifying rule, where if you finished last you had to do quali lap first. And with a couple of bad races, meant low qualifying so no high finishes. Which made it hard for him to compete on equal levelling to Kimi.

Though this is F1, and its not an excuse, its a reason as to why he appeared much slower, but in reality I think they were very evenly matched on pace.

Though without a doubt he did have some incredibly silly mistakes. And that didn't help. But the speed was there.

Though I think a return to F1 wouldn't be good for him, though I'd love to see it happen - for our entertainment.

[ArrowsFA1]

Juan's enjoying NASCAR. He'd be enjoying it more if he was running up front more often, but he's still enjoying life far more than he was when in F1. So no, I don't want to see him back for that reason.

[Knock-on]

I like Monty but F1 wasn't his bag.

Enjoy his time in the US would be my view.

[AndyRAC]

He's driving 'the car of Tomorrow' why would he want to drive an F1 car?


He He.....

[V12]

I wish, but I doubt it. Montoya was the last of a dying breed and probably prolonged my high interest in the sport after all my childhood heroes and villains had begun leaving the sport around the turn of the millennium (with the exception of Schumacher). I think F1 prefers it's "stars" to be a little more corporate and clean-cut these days, your Hamiltons, Kubicas, Vettels of this world. I don't see Kimi lasting much longer either to be honest.

[JSH]

I would have thought that teams like BMW, Toyota, Honda, Williams, or Renault would consider him for one of their seats as he would be very marketable, and at 33 should still retain plenty of his undoubted ability.


If none of them wanted him after Maclaren sacked him, I don't see them wanting him now..

[markabilly]

I have very reliable sources that inform me that if he were paid the top dollar, more than Kimster and Hamster put together, he would have to take too big a pay cut to go back to formula MaX

See teams pay their drivers prettty good in nAstycar, then there are all those special sponsor ship deals and promos. The top ten of Nastycar, easily pull in 75 to 100 plus million a year.

MS was the only F1 driver, with his special deals to come close to the dollars of Gordon, Dale senior and such.

[Valve Bounce]

It would be fun to see him join Alonso at Honda.

[elinagr]

who cares about the fat a$$*&^%?

i dont!

someone who did nothing and only complains should be in Nascar not f1

[Sleeper]

If none of them wanted him after Maclaren sacked him, I don't see them wanting him now..
Red Bull wanted him, he didnt want them.

[markabilly]

I wish, but I doubt it. Montoya was the last of a dying breed and probably prolonged my high interest in the sport after all my childhood heroes and villains had begun leaving the sport around the turn of the millennium (with the exception of Schumacher). I think F1 prefers it's "stars" to be a little more corporate and clean-cut these days, your Hamiltons, Kubicas, Vettels of this world. I don't see Kimi lasting much longer either to be honest.


bernie prefers his stars to be not merely corporate but "talkers" who sell the sport....he has repeatedly made it clear that he does not like Kimi being WDC (even before he won and after as well) and certainly hates his lack of running his mouth off to reporters, so Kimi, having been a failure at penetration of market, ...will be gone soon enough

[wedge]

who cares about the fat a$$*&^%?

i dont!

someone who did nothing and only complains should be in Nascar not f1

Went wheel to wheel with Schumacher and beat him.


Red Bull wanted him, he didnt want them.

Other way round. He didn't mind going to RBR, DC vetoed the idea.


If none of them wanted him after Maclaren sacked him, I don't see them wanting him now..

He was never sacked. JPM walked out of F1.


bernie prefers his stars to be not merely corporate but "talkers" who sell the sport....he has repeatedly made it clear that he does not like Kimi being WDC (even before he won and after as well) and certainly hates his lack of running his mouth off to reporters, so Kimi, having been a failure at penetration of market, ...will be gone soon enough

The funny thing is one of the reason Kimi has his admirers is not only is he quick, exciting, but doesn't toe the party line.

[markabilly]

The funny thing is one of the reason Kimi has his admirers is not only is he quick, exciting, but doesn't toe the party line.


And does NOT talk alot about how great he is........which is why he is something of a throwback to the old days, and one of my favs.

Nevertheless,......

As to talking, have you ever watched his interviews after a race when he made poduim? His pupils become very constricted, sometimes almost invisible, which is often a sign of being bothered by very bright lighs (which the others do not seem to have a problem) or he is under very high stress, as though not comfortable at all about sitting there...

[Jag_Warrior]

Sports Illustrated estimated Dale, Jr.'s total racing related annual compensation to be $27 million. And he was ranked #11 on S.I's Forunate 50 List. He was the top earning NASCAR driver. Jeff Gordon was ranked 14th, with $25 million. Tiger Woods was at #1 with nearly $128 million. Tiger is #1 in the U.S. and the world. Kimi Raikkonen is listed as #5 in the world with $44 million, according to S.I. While Forbes has Raikkonen as the highest paid auto racer in the world at $40 million per year. I've never heard of a NASCAR driver who made anywhere close to $100 million per year. AFAIK, Tiger is the only sportsman in the world who lives in that neighborhood.

In any case, I don't think Montoya left F1 for NASCAR because of money. I think he left because he wasn't enjoying it anymore and he could make roughly the same, return to the U.S. (which he seems to enjoy) and drive for more years than he could in F1. And at 33, he's not going back to F1, even if he could. I also cannot see him going to a second rate series like the IRL. Again, why would he? NASCAR Sprint Cup isn't nearly as sophisticated as F1. But from a driver's perspective, I'm sure it's good fun... and a good living.

[call_me_andrew]

I think politics plays a heavier role in where a driver wants to race. Usually when someone leaves F1 they're left with a bitter taste in their mouth. Once they leave, they seldom come back (Justin Wilson, Robert Doornbos, Franck Montagny, etc.)

An important thing to note is that Juan announced he was going to NASCAR within a week of the USGP. No one involved with NASCAR makes a decision that fast on such short notice. This was obviously in the works for months. I don't think NASCAR would let him go at this point. Accoring to Alexa, 10% of NASCAR.com's traffic now comes from Colombia. Interestingly enough, the plurality of Formula1.com's traffic comes from the United States.

[wedge]

An important thing to note is that Juan announced he was going to NASCAR within a week of the USGP. No one involved with NASCAR makes a decision that fast on such short notice. This was obviously in the works for months.

Except he wasn't allowed to drive stock cars until the fall.

JPM and Ron parted ways with mutual consent. All that was left was for Ron to tie up things with sponsors.

[Jag_Warrior]

It probably didn't hurt Juan's cause that Daimler was a major backer of both teams at that point.