Juan Pablo Montoya

Juan Pablo Montoya, born on 20 September 1975, competed in Formula One from 2001 to 2006. He is notably the first and only Colombian driver to have raced in a Formula One Grand Prix. Montoya achieved success with both the Williams and McLaren teams, securing victories for both constructors. After retiring from Formula One, he transitioned to the NASCAR series, competing until 2013, before returning to the IndyCar series in 2014.

Nationality	Colombian
Born	Juan Pablo Montoya Roldán 20 September 1975 Bogotá, Colombia

2001–2004 (Williams)

Montoya made his debut in Formula One with Williams in the FW23-BMW car for the 2001 season. He signed a two-year contract in mid-2000, replacing Jenson Button. Montoya began losing weight to meet the expectations of senior Williams officials and to enhance his race readiness. He familiarised himself with new tracks by playing simulation video games. His car was powerful and capable of challenging for victories, but it was unreliable, and he was often involved in accidents. This improved after the 2001 Canadian Grand Prix, following a physical altercation with Jacques Villeneuve and a conversation with Frank Williams. Montoya’s performances improved, as did his ability to set up the car and qualify well.

Montoya led the 2001 Brazilian Grand Prix, the season’s third round, after overtaking Ferrari’s Michael Schumacher but retired following a rear-end collision with Arrows’ Jos Verstappen. He earned his first podium by finishing second at the 2001 Spanish Grand Prix and repeated this at the 2001 European Grand Prix. He took his maiden pole position at the 2001 German Grand Prix but retired due to an engine failure. Montoya achieved his first Formula One victory at the 2001 Italian Grand Prix and finished second in the season-ending 2001 Japanese Grand Prix, placing sixth in the 2001 World Drivers’ Championship with 31 points.

Montoya continued with Williams for the 2002 season. His FW24-BMW car was faster in qualifying but slower during races due to Michelin tyres wearing out quicker than Bridgestone’s. Montoya scored points in the first six races, including podiums in Australia, Malaysia, Spain, and Austria, and pole position in Brazil. He took five consecutive pole positions, although he faced retirements in three of these races. He secured podiums in Germany and Belgium and finished third in the 2002 WDC with 50 points.

In mid-2002, Montoya extended his contract with Williams through the end of the 2004 season. His FW25-BMW car in 2003 was upgraded with mechanical and aerodynamic changes, making it the fastest in hot conditions due to Michelin tyres. He led the season-opening 2003 Australian Grand Prix but finished second after a late-race spin. Montoya won the 2003 Monaco Grand Prix and consistently finished on the podium in the next seven races, including a victory at the 2003 German Grand Prix. He ended the season third in the 2003 WDC with 82 points, 11 points short of the title.

In 2004, Montoya’s FW26-BMW car was slow due to a lack of downforce from a new chassis design and an unconventional front wing design. He scored points in all but two of the first seven rounds, including a second-place finish in Malaysia and third in San Marino. Montoya was disqualified from the 2004 Canadian Grand Prix for oversized brake ducts and the 2004 United States Grand Prix for changing cars too late on the starting grid. He won the season-ending 2004 Brazilian Grand Prix and finished fifth in the 2004 WDC with 58 points.

2005–2006 (Mclaren)

Montoya’s relationship with Williams deteriorated due to disagreements over pit stop strategies and team dynamics. He signed a contract with McLaren to replace David Coulthard for the 2005 season and had a cordial relationship with his new teammate, Kimi Räikkönen. He struggled initially due to tyre heating issues but won three races, including the 2005 British Grand Prix, 2005 Italian Grand Prix, and 2005 Brazilian Grand Prix, finishing fourth in the 2005 WDC with 60 points.

In 2006, Montoya continued with McLaren but did not have his contract renewed for 2007 due to strained relationships with team management. He struggled with the MP4-21 car’s understeer, tyre warming issues, and power loss from new engine regulations. Montoya scored points in five of the first nine races, including a third-place finish in San Marino and second in Monaco. After an eight-car accident at the 2006 United States Grand Prix, Montoya left Formula One and was replaced by Pedro de la Rosa for the remainder of the season. He finished eighth in the 2006 WDC with 26 points.