Montoya predicts that race is a lottery

Montoya fully expects the Renaults to pit early for fuel after claiming the front row at Sepang but says that does not mean that they cannot be a threat.

"Looking at difference between the Saturday and Friday qualifying times," Montoya said, "the best Renault time was only 0.7s slower, but Michael (Schumacher) went from a 1m34.9s to a 1m37.3s and I went from a 1m35.9s to a 1m37.9s. So we went two seconds a lap slower and they went seven tenths slower. If their car is on the same fuel as us, they deserve to win!

"Michael is third on the grid and I'm sure he won't be that far off (the Renault pace)," Montoya added. "And if he goes five laps further than them, they are done. That's what I think, but I don't know. If Trulli is slow and Alonso is quick, then Alonso can get a window and maybe the Michelin tyres will work fantastically well compared to the Bridgestone, like last year.

"As well as that, Coulthard is right there as well, and Raikkonen and me. I think the race could go to anybody -- it's all a bit of a lottery. And, from what I'm hearing, the Bridgestone users were experiencing quite a bit of tyre wear."