Juan Pablo Montoya’s F1 career never quite reached 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.
Montoya later admitted that he was trying to take it easy during that test, but a small mistake turned into a costly disaster. At a chicane marked out by cones, he brushed against the heavy base of one, which snapped two suspension arms on the Williams FW20. With no spare parts available, the team lost more than a day of running.
Williams were far from pleased, and Montoya remembers being heavily criticized for the error. He insists he wasn’t even pushing hard — just unlucky to get too close to the cone. In the end, it was simply a rookie mistake with a million-dollar price tag.
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.
Montoya Years in Formula 1
When he arrived in F1 in 2001, the sport was already under Schumacher’s iron grip.
Ferrari started to dominated form 2000, rivals often played safe, a few dared to go wheel to wheel with the German.
However, Montoya was different, he was not interested in respecting reputations, he wanted to overtake them.
He made his debut with Williams-BMW, in his first year he showed why he was considered one of the boldest drivers of his gerneration.
At just his third race, Brazilian GP< Montoya pulled a stunning move on Schumacher down the straight into Turn 1, a signal to the world that he was not here to play it safe.
His style was aggressive, fearless, he could be rough around the edges, but he was also a great competitor who thrived in the fight.
Fans admired his determination, while rivals often braced themselves for battle when they saw him in the mirrors.
During his time at Williams, he collected 7 wins, 20 podiums and 13 poles.
His best season was in 2003, when he was right in the title fight with Schumacher and Raikkonen, although he finished third, many believed he had the raw talent to become F1 champion if the stars had aligned.
A move to McLaren in 2005, brought more victories, while he won three times in his first season with the team, he struggled with consistency and motivation.
By mid-2006 he decided to walk away from F1, heading to Nascar and Later to IndyCar.
What can we say more?
His career was shorter than many expected, just 6 years in F1, but those years, he left a mark as one of the few drivers who could go toe-to-toe with Schumacher at his peak.
His aggression and his refusal to bow down made him a fan favorite.
Do you think Montoya could have been a world champion in a better car? Let us know in the comments!
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