Montoya

MAGNY-COURS, France -- Juan Pablo Montoya was in a cracking good mood: Relaxed, laughing, cracking jokes, giggling, talking with F1 reporters prior to the French Grand Prix. The subject was Ferrari, Michael Schumacher, and Rubens Barrichello. And the relationship of all three.

Remember the uproar and controversy after the Austrian Grand Prix when Barrichello followed team orders and let Schumacher win? Montoya says it will all soon be forgotten.

"I guarantee you that in two years time nobody will remember it," Montoya said. "Nobody even mentions it now."

"It was annoying for everybody," Montoya says of the outcome in the Austrian Grand Prix. "It's annoying for me to see that happening, especially because Rubens is my good friend. But that is the reality."

The reality, Montoya says, is that Rubens knows his place -- and that is as number two behind number one Schumacher.

"Everybody knows that Ferrari has a number one and a number two driver," Montoya says. "That is clear, yeah? Being the number two driver means that you work for the number one driver. And that is what Rubens did. So what is wrong with that?"

"Rubens drove a brilliant race in Austria: he deserved that win, but from the moment he signed with Ferrari he knew that could happen. It was clear for him. Even though everybody got angry about it, you know it is going to happen."

Team orders are rare at Team Williams.

"You know here (Williams) it is not going to happen," Montoya says. "And if it did, probably nobody is going to obey them. Because it happened here last year!"

He was referring to the 2001 French Grand Prix when he and teammate Ralf Schumacher were on different pit strategies. Montoya had the faster car and the team told Ralf to let him by. Unfortunately, Ralf seemed to have radio problems at the time and didn't hear the message. A moot point as it turned out because Montoya would retire with engine woes.

More than one driver, including Jacques Villeneuve and Montoya, has said he would never drive for Ferrari as long as Michael Schumacher gets the priority treatment. And that's something that is never going to change as long as Schumacher is there and winning.

Going back to Barrichello, Montoya says signing on as Schumacher's number two was a stroke of genius. Barrichello joined the F1 ranks in 1993 as a Jordan driver. After four years with Jordan he drove for Stewart Ford from 1997 through 1999. In those seven seasons Barrichello never won, and he finished on the podium six times with two seconds and four thirds.

Since joining Ferrari in 2000, Barrichello has won twice, and he's racked up 21 other podium finishes (11 seconds and 10 thirds) not to mention another seven other top-six finishes. All this in just over two and a half seasons.

	Juan Montoya ultimately couldn't stop Michael Schumacher from clinching the title.

"What Rubens has done is fantastic, I have to say," Montoya says. "Going in as a second driver in Michael's house is brilliant. Think about it -- if Rubens weren't there, where would he be? Jaguar? Qualifying 18th or 17th? Maybe 16th when he did a really good job? Against finishing second?"

Moving on to Michael Schumacher, Montoya says that the (now) five-time World Champion is going to do something to make him look like a hero after the debacle in Austria.

"Now that Michael has the championship, I guarantee you that Michael will pay Rubens back," Montoya predicts. "He is going to let him by in one of these races and he is going to look like a hero, and everybody is going to say 'He's a really good sportsman.' I guarantee you that everybody is going to talk about that! And after he does that, everybody is going to forget about the other race (Austria). That's the way it works. He's going to look like a hero. That's it. Simple!"

One journalist quipped: So (F1's ringmaster) Bernie (Ecclestone) has shown you the script then?

"No," said a laughing Montoya. "But I guarantee that it is going to happen! And it would look so good for Michael, letting Rubens by, probably without even telling the team. Saying: 'He deserved to win in Austria and I gave it to him now.' Daa Ding!"

Montoya says he would happily drive for Ferrari with Michael Schumacher as long as "we were in the same conditions." But Montoya isn't all that sure that Ferrari will be the place to be in the future.

Schumacher's contract with Ferrari ends at the conclusion of the 2004 season. Ferrari may be the best team now, but Montoya says Williams BMW is on the rise. Two years from now Williams might be on top and Ferrari might be in decline.

Montoya has been leaning his chair back against the wall of one of the Williams BMW hospitality units as he chats. Williams PR officer Silvia Hoffer reminds him that he is due at a F1 drivers meeting in five minutes. The front legs of the chair thunk down on the wooden floor. Montoya flashes a smile.

"Okay, see you guys," he says as he leaves.

The Ferrari prophecies and Barrichello appraisals, by Juan Pablo Montoya, are over for the day.