Montoya leaving F1 and a stupid article...

jfw834 · jfw834's Garage

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,4-2270370,00.html

I found this short blurb so stupid but am still curious as to what you guys think of Montoya leaving F1 for NASCAR. His lackluster year and fading expectations for major success seem to have gotten the best of him and I think he sounds excited to live in the states.

i have a few real questions though; could NASCAR and chip ganassi have offered him more money than one of the F1 teams? did he even get an offer to stay in F1? and also what do you think of McLaren's decision to relieve him of race duties and replace him with Pedro de la Rosa? I think Rosa actually may outperform Montoya if he races the rest of the season....this is his chance to prove his racing abilities and i don't think he will waste it.

on the article, all I have to say is that what is a sport without the competitor? the fraction of excitement we feel when watching F1 on TV is that imagination of being in the cockpit ourselves. Competition is all about people and personality and includes emotion and mistakes that would all be absent in this scenerio. A car without a driver is a man without a soul!

JSDSKI · 07-14-2006, 01:46 PM

Right, I can see it now. 250,000 fans stand on their feet as 33 remote control vehicles scream into turn 1 at 300 mph. Not gonna happen.

No risk - no meaning. How many people watch rocket launches ?

rfuerst911sc · 07-14-2006, 04:01 PM

Frank Williams supposedly offered Montoya a ride and he turned it down.

bell · bell's Garage

Quote:

Originally posted by JSDSKI

No risk - no meaning. How many people watch rocket launches ?

amatuer rocket builders are a whole other topic......not only are those guys probably smarter than montoya, they are more entertaining

i'll watch montoyas first few races just to watch some "good ole' boys" show him why nascar is so popular

JSDSKI · 07-15-2006, 11:02 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by bell
amatuer rocket builders are a whole other topic......

I sit corrected. Amateur rocket launches are very entertaining

masraum · 07-17-2006, 07:07 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by JSDSKI
Right, I can see it now. 250,000 fans stand on their feet as 33 remote control vehicles scream into turn 1 at 300 mph. Not gonna happen.

No risk - no meaning. How many people watch rocket launches ?

Actually, if you lived in Florida you'd probably know that lots and lots of people watch the space shuttle go up any time it goes and I believe that in person it's probably a pretty phenomenal experience. Many people don't just watch one, but see them any time they can if they live close enough.

But I get your point.

JSDSKI · 07-17-2006, 10:07 AM

Yeah, it's basically human's we're interested in. Humans in wild and weird places. I mean, I'll watch a rocket launch and a robot battle, etc etc - because I enjoy technology and it is exciting. But there is something special when a human we identify with is in a dangerous vehicle....

oldE · 07-17-2006, 11:30 AM

I suspect it went somewhere along these lines:

July 3, Ron Dennis, after careful consideration, suggested to JPM's agent he find his boy a new ride.

The agent puts a deal together with Chip Ganassi's outfit for a ride for next season, (going back to the well, so to speak) and they salt it down by the weekend. McLaren allows JPM's camp to break their news first, on Monday, July 10.

Tuesday, McLaren generously says JPM is being given well deserved time off to spend with his family. Pedro delaRossa will drive for the rest of the season. Don't let the door hit you on the @ss on the way out, Jaun.

Contrast this with the announcement last winter that Fernando Alonso would be leaving Renault for McLaren in 2007. Did Renault pull the plug? Oh no. They value FA's services and will hold on to him as long as they can.

Ron Dennis has had enough of carbon fibre bumper cars.
The public pays to watch drivers race, not crash out with their team mate.

Les

JSDSKI · 07-17-2006, 12:14 PM

How about: Montoya has been talking to Ganassi for years because he knows and trusts him.

Montoya's manager has been negotiating a deal for Franchetti to go to Ganassi NASCAR. JPM's manager manages Franchetti as well.

Montoya has offers from Williams and Red Bull.

RD wants to keep Montoya on the shelf for McLaren and off the market for his competitors (Williams, etc) so he tells JPM - no decision until end of season. At the same time RD tells Coulthard about the Red Bull offer (because he knows Coulthard and JPM are oil and water). RD is also hoping to keep Kimi away from Renault if Schumacher decides to stay with Ferrari. RD DOES NOT want Montoya AND Kimi in competitor cars if he can help it - wants to keep Kimi and JPM away from other teams.

Coulthard goes ballistic and blows Red Bull deal in the press.

Montoya calls Ganassi and says "would you rather have me or Dario" ? Ganassi says lets make a deal. Deal is announced.

Both JPM's manager and RD did not know it was going down. Dennis goes ballistic and tells JPM to pack it. Franchetti wants to fire the manager. The manager is telling everyone who'll listen he had nothing to do with it. Montoya has a quiet private conversation with Alonso (in espanol) about inside workings of MacF1 and recent loss of tech staff. And lo and behold "rumors that Alonso may want out of McLaren deal to stay with Renault" start at French GP (of course this is probably just Briatore b/s to shake up McLaren and Ferrari) If Kimi goes to Ferrari and Alonso stays with Renault- RD would be without KR, FA, or JPM.

Call it Montoyzooma's Revenge.

GettinHeadStuds · 07-17-2006, 07:07 PM

Montoya.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vol_M7KnP5M&search=montoya%20head

"Mira, you #$%^ing idiot. Noo, yaa".