McLaren have signed Colombian star Juan Pablo Montoya to race for them in 2005. The move annouced today has long been rumoured and McLaren boss Ron Dennis said the chance to sign Montoya was "too good to miss."
The Colombian sensation who finished third in the 2003 Championship after a season long battle will join the McLaren team at the end of next season. The move will likely see him team up with Kimi Raikkonen to form one of the most eagerly anticipated driver pairings in recent years.
Montoya's switch signals the end of the David Coulthard's time with McLaren. The Scot who joined McLaren in 1996 has struggled to get to grips with one-shot qualifying and is now paying the price. Indeed 2004 may prove to be the Scots last shot at an F1 title after 9 years in top F1 teams.
Montoya's move was spurred by the Colombian's annoyance at the disparity in his Williams salary relative to team-mate Ralf Schumacher. It has also been long rumoured that Montoya felt the team favoured Schumacher because of the team's engine partner, BMW.
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