Montoya's 'secret' contract with McLaren for 2005.

BMW WilliamsF1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya looks set to leave the Oxfordshire based concern at the end of 2004, after signing a 'secret contract' to drive for McLaren-Mercedes.

According to reports by Colombian magazine, Revista Cambio.com the contract was finalised at the British Grand Prix in July, and as such, it means David Coulthard will only remain at the Woking based team for one more season.

It is believed that the Colombian will get a significant pay increase should he go as Williams currently pay him around $3-4 million a year, while team-mate Ralf Schumacher takes in around $10-15m - a matter JPM is understandably less than pleased about.

When asked at the German Grand Prix about such rumours linking him to McLaren, JPM, speaking in Thursday's FIA press conference, told reporters: "Well, there are always rumours about it, rumours one way or the other...

"However at the moment I have a contract with Williams until the end of 2004 and then after that we will have to wait and see what happens. There's still 2003."

Such comments significantly do not rule out such a deal, and therefore there could indeed be merit to such speculation, for although rumours can be notoriously unreliable, there is, as the saying goes, 'no smoke without fire'.

A spokesperson for McLaren told Revista Cambio.com "Ron Dennis [McLaren team boss] will speak of news of the 2005 season when he considers it advisable."

Watch this space for further updates...