JANUARY 15, 2002
The 2003 silly season begins
Williams has the first option to take up Montoya's services in 2003 (the fifth year of their deal) and much will depend on how things go this year. Montoya will know that at the moment BMW Williams is as good a deal as he is going to get in terms of a competitive car as if he joined Ferrari he would have to cope with the team's love for Michael Schumacher.
As an opening shot in the negotiation process, the rumors are useful to the Montoya camp but the Colombian's management will know that calling Williams's bluff is never a good idea as several World Champions have found out in the past when they thought they could ramp up their salaries...
Damon Hill, Nigel Mansell and Alain Prost all found out the hard way that Williams has its own way of doing business.