Montoya Signs For Ganassi
Williams test driver Juan Pablo Montoya has swapped places with the team's latest F1 recruit, Alex Zanardi, to land a drive with triple titleist Chip Ganassi in Champcars.
Montoya, the winner of this year's F3000 series, had hoped to secure a place in the Williams team for 1999, but was thwarted by Jacques Villeneuve's decision to join BAR. Had the Canadian remained at Grove, the team may have taken a risk on Montoya, but plumped instead for the experience of Ralf Schumacher to partner Zanardi.
Williams test driver Juan Pablo Montoya has swapped places with the team's latest F1 recruit, Alex Zanardi, to land a drive with triple titleist Chip Ganassi in Champcars.
Montoya, the winner of this year's F3000 series, had hoped to secure a place in the Williams team for 1999, but was thwarted by Jacques Villeneuve's decision to join BAR. Had the Canadian remained at Grove, the team may have taken a risk on Montoya, but plumped instead for the experience of Ralf Schumacher to partner Zanardi.
With opportunities at BAR and Stewart also fading, Montoya has now signed for Ganassi, hoping that he can follow both Villeneuve and Zanardi in F1 having first made his mark in America. The Colombian's deal is for three years, giving the Ganassi team great hopes of adding to its title haul.
(He comes highly recommended by the people at Williams who've been working with him for the last year,) said Chip Ganassi of his new charge, (He has a lot of confidence and possesses the tools and skills to be a successful driver for us.)
