Montoya Hopes he Has the Car to Beat Schumacher

Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya says he can prevent Michael Schumacher winning a record sixth Formula One title if Williams give him a car as good as the German's Ferrari.

"If we had the car he had, we could win the Championship as well," the 27-year-old told reporters today at the unveiling of the new Williams FW25 car at Barcelona's Circuit de Catalunya.

"You hear every five minutes that you need to do things the way Michael does because Michael wins. But Michael wins because he has got the car with which to win and we don't. Hopefully we have got the car this year that can win."

Schumacher dominated last season, winning his record-equalling fifth title with six races to spare and taking 11 victories in 17 races while Brazilian teammate Rubens Barrichello had four wins.

The German, older brother of Montoya's teammate Ralf, is renowned as a totally concentrated competitor who spends hours crunching through data in search of the slightest advantage while Montoya is more laid back.

Team boss Frank Williams has urged Montoya to learn from Schumacher the importance of keeping himself constantly focused on the job. However, team technical director Patrick Head suggested that the former CART champion, who had no wins last year after a debut victory at Monza in 2001, had failed to do that.

"We thought last year that Juan was perhaps relying too much on natural talent and not putting enough thought into his work," Head told Britain's Independent newspaper before the wraps came off the new car.

"He realises it would be a great waste if he didn't achieve more with the talent he has. But I think he realises he needs more than that if he is to beat Michael and everybody in the team has been impressed with his diligence and application in this winter's testing."

Team boss Frank Williams later told reporters: "Juan has got to respect the challenge around him and react accordingly. That is the bridge, the gulf he has to cross but he has to work that out himself."

Montoya, who claimed the fastest qualifying lap ever at Monza last year and took seven pole positions, said he was hungry for success and hoped the new Williams would help narrow the gap with Ferrari.