World champions Ferrari opened up the first front in the battle for the 2004 title on Saturday when the Italian team’s technical chief Ross Brawn claimed Juan Pablo Montoya could be in for an uncomfortable last year at Williams.
The Colombian driver is moving to McLaren in 2005 and Brawn believes it could create divisions in the British team if the 2004 championship turns out to be a close race.
”It’s a little unfortunate. It’s going to be a difficult year for Montoya and the people around him,” Brawn told the BBC.
”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.
”When Michael Schumacher announced he was leaving Benetton to join Ferrari things were not so easy. 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.”
Last season Montoya emerged as a genuine challenger to Michael Schumacher before the German star went on to claim an unprecedented sixth world crown and his fourth with Ferrari. — Sapa-AFP