Brawn predicts difficult year for Montoya

Juan Pablo Montoya could face a difficult year ahead with Williams due to his impending move to McLaren, according to Ferrari technical director Ross Brawn. Montoya will switch to McLaren in 2005 after four years with Williams and Brawn thinks if ...

Juan Pablo Montoya could face a difficult year ahead with Williams due to his impending move to McLaren, according to Ferrari technical director Ross Brawn. Montoya will switch to McLaren in 2005 after four years with Williams and Brawn thinks if the Grove team has a tough time in 2004, it will make life uncomfortable for Montoya.

Juan Pablo Montoya.

Photo by Brousseau Photo.

"It's a little unfortunate. It's going to be a difficult year for Montoya and the people around him," Brawn told BBC radio. "A lot will depend on how competitive Williams are and the competition between their two drivers."

"If Williams are extremely competitive and run away with the championship Juan Pablo could get on well. But if it's a tense championship and there's tension between the two drivers (Montoya and Ralf Schumacher) it's hard to see the situation not surfacing frequently."

Brawn wonders if Montoya will be focused on the job in hand in 2004 and remembered when Michael Schumacher was in a similar situation: "When Michael Schumacher announced he was leaving Benetton to join Ferrari things were not so easy," he commented.

"You wonder where his mind is -- is his mind on the future, or on now? And you can't build things because you're not building with him for the future."

Both Williams and Montoya, of course, swear there will be no problems and will be fighting for the championship again next year. Montoya claims there is no friction between himself and the team and Williams will support him in his final year.