The $1 Million Mistake That Almost Ended Montoya’s Career

Juan Pablo Montoya’s F1 career never quite hit the heights many expected—and he partly blames himself. The fiery Colombian, known for his fearless driving, once made a rookie error that left Williams fuming during a pre-season test in 1998.

The Crash That Angered Williams

As a fresh-faced test driver, Montoya was trying to impress. But in his first official run with the FW20, disaster struck—and it wasn’t even from pushing too hard.

“I was being careful!” Montoya told AS. “There was a chicane made of cones, and I clipped the base of one. Next thing I knew, two suspension arms were broken, and Williams couldn’t run for a day and a half because they didn’t have spare parts!”

The team was furious. “They killed me for it,” he laughed. “I wasn’t even pushing—just got too close to a cone with a massive base. That was it, my mistake.”

A Career That Could Have Been Greater

Montoya’s time at Williams (2001-2004) saw him take seven wins and establish himself as a fan favorite. Yet, he believes his potential was never fully realized—and he even jokes about the damage he did to teammate Ralf Schumacher’s reputation.

But that 1998 crash wasn’t the only reason Williams struggled. The team was already reeling from a bigger loss: legendary designer Adrian Newey, who had left for McLaren.

Newey’s Exit Hurt More Than Montoya’s Crash

The FW20 was Williams’ first car without Newey’s magic touch—and it showed. While Jacques Villeneuve dominated in the 1997 FW19 (7 wins, 10 poles), the 1998 car failed to secure a single victory or pole position.

Montoya’s mishap may have cost them a day and a half of testing, but Newey’s departure cost them championships.

Do you think Montoya could have been a world champion in a better car? Let us know in the comments!