Montoya keeping options open

Juan Pablo Montoya will stay with Williams next season but come 2005 the Colombian will be considering his options. Towards the end of this season the rumour mill was linking Montoya with a move to McLaren, despite the fact he is contracted to Williams for 2004 and that McLaren had already confirmed Kimi Raikkonen and David Coulthard. However, what happens after next year is anyone's guess.

"I am with Williams next year," said Montoya. "I have a contract with them until the end of 2004. For 2005 I am a completely free agent and I have to look at all the options and decide at that time which will be the best for me in the future, whether to stay at Williams or join another team. Obviously, there have been talks with other teams and that is why there has been so much gossip."

Raikkonen is on a long-term contract with McLaren but Coulthard has only been retained for one year, so the possibility of a vacancy arising in 2005 is likely. Montoya has also been linked with Ferrari since he appeared in Formula One, but should Williams overthrow the Scuderia in 2004 there would seem little point in Juan Pablo moving anywhere -- presuming Williams wants to keep him.

Michael Schumacher is set to stay with Ferrari until 2006 but Rubens Barrichello is another driver on a one-year deal, giving chance for a vacancy to come available at Ferrari in 2005. Montoya's teammate Ralf Schumacher also comes to the end of his contract with Williams at the close of next season. Few seats remain available for 2004 but the year after there could be some interesting line-up changes.

Meanwhile, McLaren has been reported as saying that it has been approached by Jacques Villeneuve in regard to a testing role with the team. This fueled speculation that McLaren test driver Alex Wurz may be heading to the vacant seat at Jaguar, alongside Mark Webber. However, Villeneuve's manager Craig Pollock said he is not in discussions with anybody.

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