Montoya Shrugs off Schumacher Snub

Juan Pablo Montoya, preparing for his farewell to CART racing, shrugged off a snub by future Formula One teammate Ralf Schumacher, saying if the German doesn't want him, that's his problem.

Montoya is leaving CART after Sunday's series season finale here to join the Williams team. Williams driver Schumacher has publicly said he would prefer the team retain Briton Jenson Button.

"I don't know Ralf, so I don't have a problem with it," Montoya said on Friday. "I don't think I'm going to Williams to ... have a great relationship. It would be nice because it's going to be much better off for the team."

Perhaps if the snub had come from Schumacher's much more influential older brother Michael, the current Formula One world champion, it might have carried more weight. But Montoya said if Ralf is unhappy about the decision he can take it up with team owner Frank Williams.

"Frank decided I was to drive the car, it's not his (Schumacher's) decision. It's not his team," said the Colombian star of the CART racing series.

Montoya and Schumacher would not be the first Formula One teammates who were not exactly best of friends. It is a situation the 25-year-old Colombian said he can live with.

"If we are in a position we don't want to be great teammates, I don't have a problem with that," he said. "My job is to drive the car as fast as I can and put it on top. That's what I'm going to try to do."