Schumacher Learns to Like 'Hidden' Montoya

Michael Schumacher says he has broken through Juan Pablo Montoya's brash exterior and learned to like his younger brother's teammate.

In what may come as a shock to those who see Ferrari's Formula One World Champion and the Colombian as sworn foes, Schumacher told reporters at the Hungarian Grand Prix on Thursday that any bad blood was history.

"If you see what he's saying these days and what he used to say, I think he's very different," he said of the Williams driver. "I personally feel much more comfortable with him.

"I actually got to like him because I have found actually the person behind the sort of shield. I'm getting on very well with him."

The rivals had a frosty relationship last year when Montoya arrived as teammate to Schumacher's brother Ralf at Williams with a glowing reputation and no desire for friendship with the younger German.

Montoya was also seen as the man most likely to dethrone Michael and he set about unsettling the Ferrari driver with audacious overtaking at the first opportunity.

They also clashed repeatedly on the track earlier this year, with the Colombian slamming Schumacher after a defensive manoeuvre in Brazil that damaged his Williams. But, with Schumacher clinching his record-equalling fifth title in France last month, the heat has come off the Championship.

Montoya is currently second overall but a hefty 66 points behind the German and has yet to win a race in 2002 compared to Schumacher's nine in 12 rounds.

Two Reasons

Schumacher could make history in Hungary on Sunday as the first driver to win 10 times in a single season.

"There are two reasons for the change I guess," said Schumacher, omitting the second reason, when asked about his attitude towards Montoya. "The main one is that now we know each other. Before we didn't.

"He arrived into Formula One a long time before he actually arrived because the press had written about him for ages. Some of us, including myself, didn't know him. I knew that he had done well in America and that's it. But doing well in America doesn't give any guarantees that you will do well here."

Montoya came to Formula One after securing the CART title in the United States in 1999. He has taken six pole positions this season, outqualifying both Schumachers, but has failed to translate his one lap supremacy into race success.

His battle now is to prevent Schumacher's Brazilian teammate Rubens Barrichello claiming second place overall. Schumacher said Barrichello, who regularly seems to attract any bad luck floating around Ferrari, certainly had the car to succeed.

"Is it about the car?," pondered the German. "I don't know. You can't always explain why things happen in life. I could have been as unlucky as he has been."