McLaren denies pursuit of Montoya.

Both Norbert Haug and Ron Dennis have spoken out to deny reports that Juan Montoya will be on his way to join McLaren next season - potentially ending the biggest rumour of the last couple of months.

Both Norbert Haug and Ron Dennis have spoken out to deny reports that Juan Montoya will be on his way to join McLaren next season - potentially ending the biggest rumour of the last couple of months.

The duo, heads of Mercedes Motorsport and McLaren International respectively, were reacting to a report in Germany's Bild magazine which claimed that, now Montoya can no longer win the world title for Williams and BMW, he was a free agent and would not compete in the Japanese Grand Prix after transferring to McLaren. Although the Colombian would not race for the Woking team at Suzuka - where David Coulthard would continue to back up Kimi Raikkonen's last-ditch championship bid - the report claimed that he would be free to assume testing duties with the team as soon as the end of season ban ended.

Bild reckoned that McLaren would be part with a cool $25million to get its man before the end of his Williams contract - which is due to expire at the end of 2004 - while Montoya's exit would allow Williams to put Jacques Villeneuve in its second car for the Japanese GP - a rumour that has already surfaced, albeit with the Canadian allegedly replacing an out-of-sorts Ralf Schumacher in the #4 car to help Montoya's now defunct title push.

Haug and Dennis were quick to respond to the article, with the Mercedes man claiming that no talks of any kind had been held with Montoya or Williams-BMW - and that the team was not in the habit of paying 'transfer fees' for drivers.

Dennis, meanwhile, has already insisted that Coulthard and Raikkonen will continue to form his driver line-up for 2004.

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