SEPTEMBER 25, 2000

Williams confirms Montoya

WILLIAMS has finally confirmed that Juan-Pablo Montoya will be partnering Ralf Schumacher in Formula 1 next year.

WILLIAMS has finally confirmed that Juan-Pablo Montoya will be partnering Ralf Schumacher in Formula 1 next year. the news has been expected ever since Williams released Jenson Button to drive for Benetton. Montoya's deal with Williams is for two years. The 25-year-old from Colombia has been racing in CART for the last two years with TargetÊChipÊGanassiÊRacing. He won the title last year but this year has been developing the Toyota engine and has not been able to mount a serious challenge for the title, although he has won three races this year.

The Williams team still has to decide on who will be its test driver in 2001 but we understand that the team is looking to get an experienced F1 racer. The obvious choices for the role are either Ricardo Zonta or Alexander Wurz. Both men are talking to McLaren and the Mercedes-backed operation may be about to announce that both men have been signed as test drivers. However, it might be wiser for one of them to join Williams-BMW. The Grove team is expected to have two test drivers next year, with the second likely to be another up-and-coming youngster. The team is believed to have been assessing Italian Giorgio Pantano and a number of other current Formula 3 drivers in Britain and Europe.