San Marino stat attack!

Much praise has rightly been heaped on Montoya since his Grand Prix-leading performance in Brazil two weeks ago. However, in what many consider the ultimate indicator of outright pace - qualifying ahead of your team mate - he has yet to register in his three-race Formula 1 career.

Ralf Schumacher's Williams-BMW has been ahead of Montoya's on all three starting grids so far. Surprising, when you remember that Jenson Button out-qualified Ralf in his second ever Grand Prix, and repeated the feat on five more occasions.

Since arriving in international motor racing (categories above Formula 3) Montoya has usually had the match of his team mate over one lap. He was near-perfect in Formula 3000, being out-qualified just once in two seasons. In CART he was ahead of Jimmy Vasser in 75 percent of the 40 events they raced together. He also qualified second for last year's Indy 500, again ahead of Vasser.


1997 F3000, RSM Marko, Craig Lowndes, 9 of 10 (90 percent)
1998 F3000, Super Nova, Boris Derichebourg, 12 of 12 (100 percent)
1999 CART, Ganassi, Jimmy Vasser, 13 of 20 (65 percent)
2000 CART, Ganassi, Jimmy Vasser, 17 of 20 (85 percent)
2000 Indy 500, Ganassi, Jimmy Vasser, 1 of 1 (100 percent)
2001 Formula 1, Williams, Ralf Schumacher, 0 of 3 (0 percent)

52 of 66 (78 percent)



Williams have now not won a Grand Prix since Jacques Villeneuve triumphed at the Nurburgring in 1997, their longest losing streak since their first win in 1979. The only other year without a victory was 1988, when McLaren won every race bar Ferrari's solitary win at Monza. After 54 races without a win, is that streak about to end?



We don't want to put any pressure on Jenson Button, but unless he is careful, lucky or maybe both, he could end the season with a permanent but unwanted record. To date all 17 of the Grand Prix drivers to race for Benetton have scored at least a point for the team, except one - yep, Jenson Button. With Benetton being replaced by Renault in 2002, Jenson is in danger of failing where JJ Lehto, Emanuele Pirro, Jos Verstappen and others all succeeded.



A San Marino GP would not be complete without reference to Michael Schumacher. Since he joined Ferrari in 1996, he has always finished either first or second at Imola. However, he has not qualified on pole since that 1996 race. Overall, he has raced in the San Marino GP on nine occasions, winning three, finishing second four times and retiring twice.