Formula 1: You’re not the full Montoya yet, warns Schumacher

Michael Schumacher has told Juan Pablo Montoya he still has a lot to do to prove he is Formula One’s newest star.

Schumacher warned the Colombian he cannot be regarded as a potential world champion based on one performance - however admirable.

Montoya stunned the grand prix world in Brazil 10 days ago when he barged his way past the German only to be denied victory after being hit by Arrows driver Jos Verstappen.

Schumacher, looking to bounce back to winning ways in this weekend’s San Marino Grand Prix at Imola after his second place at Sao Paulo, has stated his brother Ralf was still quicker than Williams team-mate Montoya.

And the reigning world champion also likened Montoya to the likes of Jenson Button, Giancarlo Fisichella and Alex Wurz, who all made an instant impact in F1 but are still searching for their first victories.

‘‘If you look at the pure lap time you see that my brother was eight-tenths faster than Montoya’s fastest time so I think the real winner should have been my brother,’’ said Schumacher.

‘‘Don’t misunderstand me. For sure Montoya did a fantastic race, sometimes the media make too much out of things.

‘‘Fisichella, Wurz, (Jarno) Trulli and Button, they are all great drivers, but after one overtaking you are not the champion automatically. You need more.’’

Button, the youngest driver in history to score a championship point, and Fishichella are currently struggling with an under-powered Benetton.

Wurz, who finished third in only his third race, is now trying to rebuild his career as McLaren’s test-driver after being off-loaded by Benetton, while Trulli is still looking for regular podiums despite several impressive races for Jordan.

Schumacher saw his six-race winning streak brought to an end as his Ferrari struggled in the changing conditions in Brazil as he was also overtaken by McLaren’s David Coulthard, who went on to win.

But the 32-year-old still leads the championship by six points from Coulthard going into the first European race of the season on an Italian track where he has won for the past two years.

‘‘I don’t see it as being beaten in Brazil,’’ added Schumacher. ‘‘You have to be realistic.

‘‘At the beginning of the race I was surprised that we weren’t quicker, despite our two-stop strategy, but you have to accept it and say the others were stronger.

‘‘You cannot win every time and if you see what happens to us in the race we were very fortunate to finish second.

‘‘Maybe I had a feeling for this as I had said before the race that some day the winning period would be over, but I also said I hope it will be over only until Imola.’’

Schumacher, believing the championship will be a long, hard fight added: ‘‘I kept saying that nothing is decided even when we dominated the first two races.

‘‘I hope it will be a bit easier or clearer than it was but only time will tell. I am sure we will again see a lot of ups and downs.

‘‘But I am looking forward to going back home to Italy. I remember very well the last two years when we won in Imola, and as we say in Germany, good things always come in threes.’’