JPM says a win won't come easy

The Colombian rookie qualified his Williams on pole for the third time in four races as Ferrari was again outgunned by the power of its BMW-powered rival on a circuit where engines are on full throttle for around 75 per cent of every lap.

He was more than a third of a second clear of the Ferrari duo with Rubens Barrichello second - ahead of Michael Schumacher for the first time this season - and the German third.

Montoya's team mate Ralf Schumacher starts fourth as the rising 28-degree track temperatures increased Michelin's advantage over Ferrari-supplier Bridgestone.

But even with the size of his advantage, Montoya says Ferrari will be a potent rival in front of its own fans.

He has seen two golden opportunities for a victory slip from his grasp and failed to finish in Hockenheim and Belgium after starting from pole.

"It is gonna be hard to convert this into my first win," he said. "Ferrari have been consistently quick through the whole weekend so it should be an interesting race."

Much could hinge, he said, on getting a good start.

"Basically I have to get a clean start and then we can go from there," he added. "I do not feel a lot of pressure to get that win.

"The car was really good. We made it good this morning and it just got better and better. The temperature went up and it just got better and better. This pole has given me as much satisfaction as the other two because it is Ferrari's home track. There was a bit more time in the car but I was very pleased with it anyway."