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Torque Titan
Juan Pablo Montoya has revealed the reasons behind his shock decision to quit Formula 1 mid-season and switch to NASCAR.
The seven-time grand prix winner claimed he had become bored with the sport and was frustrated that his McLaren was not competitive enough to fight for race wins.
"The car drove me to boredom, he told Colombian newspaper El Tiempo.
“My team-mate [Kimi Raikkonen] was also finishing fifth or sixth. We were finishing in the same postions. It wasn't me, it was the car. Fighting for fifth place is no fun.
Montoya entered F1 in a blaze of glory with Williams in 2001.
The Bogota-born 30-year-old was hailed as Michael Schumacher’s natural successor, but despite winning in his first season, his talent never reached fruition.
Even a switch to McLaren failed to bear the expected world title and his exit from F1 in May was met with disappointment by observers who believed that Montoya’s was a talent ultimately unfulfilled.
"I wasn't enjoying the races,” added Montoya, who says he believed that the switch to US-based Nextel Cup has come at the right time in his career.
“I had done everything I had to do and I had achieved almost all the goals that I had.
“I only needed to win a title and I realised my chances were very small. Leaving was the best decision that I could have made."
“I had the choice: another option in F1, run in Champ Car or to go to NASCAR. I needed a new challenge and I found it.
“The technology is close to zero in NASCAR, there are V8 engines, American style with carburettor and no injection mounted in tubular chassis.
“I wanted a new challenge and NASCAR is just that.
“Different, fresh. I could be racing for another 10-15 years.”
JPM also blamed the British press for the breakdown in his relationship with McLaren boss Ron Dennis which he reckons began after he broke his shoulder in a training accident early in the 2005 season.
"My relationship with Ron was fine until I broke my shoulder," he explained. "I called him and told him what happened, but the British press made up another story.
"They started to make fun of Ron for believing my version and he thought I had made him look like an idiot.
"From that moment, our relationship was never the same."
Source = ITV F1
The seven-time grand prix winner claimed he had become bored with the sport and was frustrated that his McLaren was not competitive enough to fight for race wins.
"The car drove me to boredom, he told Colombian newspaper El Tiempo.
“My team-mate [Kimi Raikkonen] was also finishing fifth or sixth. We were finishing in the same postions. It wasn't me, it was the car. Fighting for fifth place is no fun.
Montoya entered F1 in a blaze of glory with Williams in 2001.
The Bogota-born 30-year-old was hailed as Michael Schumacher’s natural successor, but despite winning in his first season, his talent never reached fruition.
Even a switch to McLaren failed to bear the expected world title and his exit from F1 in May was met with disappointment by observers who believed that Montoya’s was a talent ultimately unfulfilled.
"I wasn't enjoying the races,” added Montoya, who says he believed that the switch to US-based Nextel Cup has come at the right time in his career.
“I had done everything I had to do and I had achieved almost all the goals that I had.
“I only needed to win a title and I realised my chances were very small. Leaving was the best decision that I could have made."
“I had the choice: another option in F1, run in Champ Car or to go to NASCAR. I needed a new challenge and I found it.
“The technology is close to zero in NASCAR, there are V8 engines, American style with carburettor and no injection mounted in tubular chassis.
“I wanted a new challenge and NASCAR is just that.
“Different, fresh. I could be racing for another 10-15 years.”
JPM also blamed the British press for the breakdown in his relationship with McLaren boss Ron Dennis which he reckons began after he broke his shoulder in a training accident early in the 2005 season.
"My relationship with Ron was fine until I broke my shoulder," he explained. "I called him and told him what happened, but the British press made up another story.
"They started to make fun of Ron for believing my version and he thought I had made him look like an idiot.
"From that moment, our relationship was never the same."
Source = ITV F1
