Montoya thwarted again in quest for first points

Juan Pablo Montoya went from hero to hapless zero in Imola as he failed to finish his fourth race in succession - this time due to a clutch problem

The Colombian, who led and should have won the last race in Brazil, said he would have finished on the podium at the San Marino Grand Prix if it had not been for the problem which saw him stall his Williams-BMW in the pits.

The former Champ Car ace made a blistering start to the race, and by the second lap to move two places to fifth.

But he then lost a minute in the pits when his car stalled and with worsening clutch problems drove straight into the garage, and retirement, on lap 48.

"It could have been possible to be on the podium today," said Montoya, who watched his team mate Ralf Schumacher score his maiden victory, but is still without any points himself. "It wasn't the best race in the world, but at least we were going to score some points.

"I was in fourth. I was running at the same pace as Mika and I was looking very strong.

"It was just the clutch that went and when I lost that I lost all the gears. The first pit-stop was good and the second was too until I had to lift the clutch."

Montoya said he was notified by a cockpit warning light that their was a clutch problem five laps before his second stop. The team got him out of the pits again by dropping the car off the jacks on maximum revs.