Montoya off pace in Indianapolis

Home-crowd favourite Juan Pablo Montoya suffered a disastrous start to the United States Grand Prix at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

With the grid preparing to set off on their formation lap, Montoya was suddenly seen sprinting back to the pits to collect the spare car because of an apparent problem with his main race car.

It meant the Colombian, due to line up fifth on the grid, was forced to start from the pit lane – only for the race to then be hit by a first-corner melee which accounted for four cars.

Rubens Barrichello made a clean getaway from pole position. But behind him Christian Klein in the Jaguar and the Jordan of Giorgio Pantano came together, with Gianmaria Bruni in the Minardi and the Sauber of Felipe Masse also ruled out.

With Klein and Pantano in the middle of the track, the safety car had to be deployed while the debris was swept away.