London: NASCAR will welcome Juan Pablo Montoya more than Formula One will miss the hot-tempered Colombian.
The McLaren driver's decision at the weekend to trade the glamour of grands prix for the good ol' boys of US stock car racing in 2007 made more than a ripple on both sides of the Atlantic.
Montoya and Chip Ganassi, the team owner with whom he won the CART title in 1999 and Indy 500 at the first attempt in 2000, announced on Sunday that they were joining forces again in a multi-year deal.
If the main reaction in Europe was surprise, it was not so much because the 30-year-old race winner -- one of the sport's big names -- was turning his back on Formula One but where he was going.
Formula One, with an emphasis on cutting-edge technology but little overtaking, is to the rough and tough, wheel-banging world of NASCAR what steak and champagne are to hot-dogs and beer.
Montoya's exit will have little impact on the Formula One driver market, with the Colombian already struggling to find a race seat for 2007 in the face of general disinterest.
McLaren have signed Renault's world champion Fernando Alonso for next year and have young Britons Lewis Hamilton and Gary Paffett waiting in the wings if Kimi Raikkonen goes to Ferrari or Renault as expected.
Montoya had plenty of admirers, particularly for the way in which he squared up to Ferrari's Michael Schumacher and refused to be intimidated.
But times have moved on. Schumacher is no longer the dominant champion and Montoya, who shunted team mate Raikkonen out of this month's US Grand Prix at the first corner, was running out of options.
Williams regret
"The thing is, why would anyone want Montoya?," one unidentified team principal told Britain's Autosport magazine last week.
"We know he can be quick, but he comes with so much baggage and seems to have lost some of the fire he had at Williams. There are almost certainly better options now."
Frank Williams, whose team gave Montoya his Formula One debut in 2001, expressed some regret, however.
"Juan is a feisty and very determined driver and when he was really on form his overtaking ability was outstanding," he told the Guardian newspaper. "But he always liked racing in the USA and in a sense this decision means that he's returning home."
NASCAR bosses have reason to be delighted. Montoya is a hero to millions of Hispanic motor racing fans and ticks all the right boxes.
"It's an historic announcement to have someone of his international success and calibre," NASCAR president Mike Helton said at the weekend.
"Anybody who follows motor sports naturally would know his name. It puts us on an equal plane with every form of motor sports there is internationally."
Montoya added: "To be able to help NASCAR expand into the Latin market with a Hispanic driver is good. I think we're all winners here."
Ganassi said that Montoya had called him up and told him he wanted to drive the number 42 Dodge vacated by Casey Mears. Money was not a factor.
"When people think of moving from Formula One to NASCAR, some people think I'm crazy," Montoya said in Chicago.
"But I think it's exciting. I think it's a great challenge for my career. Coming here is probably going to be my toughest challenge ever."
Comments
0 comment