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Official 2006 Formula one Thread (pg. 3)
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| trancechaos |
JPM out, de la Rosa in at McLaren
Tuesday, 11, July, 2006, 11:54
Click to enlarge
Juan Pablo Montoya's Formula 1 career appears to be over sooner than anyone expected after McLaren announced on Tuesday morning that the Colombian will step down from his race seat with immediate effect.
The Woking team issued a statement saying that test driver Pedro de la Rosa will take Montoya’s place alongside Kimi Raikkonen starting with this weekend’s French Grand Prix.
McLaren claimed Montoya’s departure was by mutual agreement to enable him to spend time with his family at his Miami home and begin preparations for his new career in NASCAR.
When announcing his deal at Chicagoland on Sunday, Montoya gave no indication that he planned to make an early return to the States, insisting that he would have to see out the F1 season before turning his attention to an intensive NASCAR testing programme.
There has been speculation in the Spanish press that Montoya breached his contract by revealing his 2007 plans without McLaren's knowledge, and that it was this that triggered his split with the team.
But McLaren boss Ron Dennis said the decision was taken in Montoya's best interests and wished the Colombian well in his future endeavours.
"Juan Pablo is an exciting driver and immensely likeable character who will undoubtedly make a successful transition to the NASCAR scene," Dennis said.
"We have agreed that with so many things happening in Juan Pablo's life right now, he should take some time out of the car and prepare professionally and personally for the future."
Montoya added: "I know that it will be a tough transition but I'm really excited about the opportunity to move into the NASCAR championship.
"I have enjoyed most of my time in Formula 1 and I'm grateful for this opportunity to settle my personal life and concentrate on my future career."
An amicable split would be in all parties' interests since Montoya's NASCAR deal will see him race a Dodge, an American brand owned by Mercedes-Benz parent company DaimlerChrysler, which has a 40% shareholding in McLaren.
"We believe that Juan Pablo's decision to move to NASCAR is very important for him professionally and we will give him every support to ensure that it is a successful transition," said Mercedes motorsport boss Norbert Haug.
Montoya's F1 career has spanned five and a half seasons, 94 race starts, seven victories, 13 pole positions and 30 podiums. His best finish in the world championship was third, with Williams in 2003. |
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| Cosmic Fur |
| Ouch. From F1 straight to NASCAR. |
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| Orko |
| quote: | Originally posted by Cosmic Fur
Ouch. From F1 straight to NASCAR. |
Let the fat ass go. He was not willing to put in the effort to keep up his physical fitness and it showed. He is fast for a period of time, but he is not consistant, and from watching Schumi and Alanso, we know that the championship is won on consistancy.
There was only one part of Montoya's 'talent' that lent him to F1, his big mouth.
I am glad he is gone. |
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| Cosmic Fur |
| Oh, I'm not in any way sad to see him go. I'm just saying going from F1 to NASCAR is like going from starring in a blockbuster movie to appearing in a D-list porno. Sucks to be him. |
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| Orko |
I know its soo funny, and its actually the very first time that has ever happened. At least Montoya is in the record books for something, the worst career move ever.
Well Button and JV could challenge him for that one, but at least they stayed in F1. |
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| trancechaos |
okay, so heres the deal
four more races to go and 12 points separate schumi and alonso. its gonna be a tight battle, but even though im a HUGE schumi fan and hope that he wins i doubt that will be the case. after todays race (turkey)and seeing how much trouble schumi had overtaking alonso i dont think he can pull anything from under his sleeve. i think hungary was the best oportunity schumi had at closing the gap but then he ed up instead of playing it safe.
congrats to massa though for getting his first GP win, that kid has some talent and its really starting to show now, he controled that race from start to finish and i hope to see him in a good race seat next year.
now the next race is one of my favourites of the year. Monza (italian GP), the fastet circuit of the year where pure speed and balls of steel determine the winner, i think thats gonna be a ferrari dominated race coz they have the speed and its their home track.
turing out to be an exciting end to a great season. |
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| mute79 |
agreed, the finish to the season is going to be VERY exciting...
congrats to massa on his first win |
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| trancechaos |
oh man, im sooo in excited for the end of the formula one season.
only two points separate the man himself, schumi, from the very talented fernando alonso. i say schumi is gonna do it, there are three races to go and at the moment it seems as if ferrari have the edge over the renault team.
i dont care what all you player haters say (cale thats you), but schumi deserves to win this championship, he has worked his ass off for so many years and has acheived so much, and to be so competitive in his final year of racing at age 37 is something special as well. IMO thats the only way he should retire, as a champion, any other way would be unacceptable for the seven time world champ.
im sad to see him go. i have shed many tears since sunday and many more i shall shed, for schumi is the whole reason i got into F1, i started supporting him when he wasnt world champ, i remember suzuka 2000 when he beat hakkinen to claim his third world champ and begin his championship domination for 5 years.
next up is china, then its suzuka in japan (in amazing track) and to finsih off its the brazilian GP.
despite the fact that im really sad that schumi is putting his helmet on the shelf, im super excited that kimi is going to ferrari, no better replacement IMO. Kimi is a garanteed world champ, him and massa working side by side at ferrari should achieve alot. both very talented young men with great racing careers still ahead of them. as for alonso going to maclaren? that will spice things up as well. the 2007 world championship will be one not to miss for sure.
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| Cosmic Fur |
| Brazil is definitely going to be won by Schumi, the other two I'm not sure. |
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| klago |
Unfourtunately, MS's greatness will be overshaowed by scandal and suspicion.
Don't get me wrong, Sunday's post race interview was a sad moment for F1. I was upset to hear those words come from his mouth.
I have fond memories of him at Bennetton. He took Ferrarri to levels they could have only dreamed of in 1996. His 2002 and 2004 seasons will go down as some of the greatest ever.
But it's all the 'other' stuff he will truly be remembered for.
Brazil will mark the end of a brilliant racing carreer, but not that of a sportsman. |
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| trancechaos |
| quote: | Originally posted by klago
Unfourtunately, MS's greatness will be overshaowed by scandal and suspicion.
But it's all the 'other' stuff he will truly be remembered for.
Brazil will mark the end of a brilliant racing carreer, but not that of a sportsman. |
you player hater. :whip: :whip:
yeah yeah, tons of people say stuff similar to that, but at the end of the day his name is attached to every record there is to hold. so im sure his greatness will over shaddow "that other stuff". |
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| Cosmic Fur |
| What scandals surround Schumi???? |
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