Montoya Remains Defiant in Ferrari's Backyard

Juan Pablo Montoya is not ruling out another bruising showdown with Michael Schumacher in Ferrari's backyard this weekend.

"Not at all, if it happens, it happens. That's racing," the Colombian told a news conference ahead of Sunday's San Marino Grand Prix when asked if he worried about a recurrence of their last clash in Brazil.

Imola is the closest circuit in the Formula One Championship to Ferrari's Maranello factory and Schumacher can expect overwhelming support from the passionate flag-waving 'tifosi' on Sunday.

Montoya and the four times World Champion have lined up on the front row of the grid for the past two races and banged cars on the first lap of both.

Pole Position

In Malaysia, the Williams driver was penalised with a drive-through penalty after he and Schumacher touched at the first corner, smashing the Ferrari's front wing.

Two weeks ago in Brazil it was Montoya who lost his front wing as he tried to overtake the German into the fourth corner after he had lost the advantage of starting on pole position.

Montoya blamed Schumacher for the collision, accusing him of unfair tactics in cutting across him.

The Colombian said on Thursday that he had not changed his opinion since Interlagos but vowed to stick to his principles in a race expected to favour Williams. His teammate Ralf Schumacher, Michael's younger brother, won at Imola last year.

"I have my point of view and I still have the same point of view," said Montoya. "For the stewards, it was a racing incident and so we will see what happens from here on. I'm not really going to change the way I approach the race in any way.

"You've got to race and that's what you're here for," said the Williams driver, second in the first two races and fifth in Brazil after fighting back from the rear.

"He (Michael Schumacher) made this one move down the straight and I thought I could go down the inside. I guess I moved before him and I was too close to him.

"He came in front of me and he touched my (car's) nose and I was out of the race. But the stewards thought it was a racing incident so it is good to know you can do that as well.

"It doesn't mean I am going to go away and do it. I am very happy with the way I am racing. I believe you have to race fairly. If someone is racing genuinely then you have to race the same way."

Schumacher, sitting in front of Montoya at the FIA-organised conference, refused to get drawn into the controversy when asked whether he believed he had raced in an 'ungentlemanly fashion'.

"I don't see I need to respond," he said.