Montoya 'back to best'

Juan Pablo Montoya is finally back to his entertaining best and ready to take the fight to world championship leader Fernando Alonso, according to McLaren chief Martin Whitmarsh.

Montoya notched up his first win of the season in yesterday’s British Grand Prix after putting Alonso in the shade with a brave first-lap move on the Renault ace.

The Colombian finally emerged from Kimi Raikkonen’s shadow after a tough start to life with McLaren saw his championship bid ruined by injury and run-ins with Formula One bosses.

“I really do think that Juan can win races. I think he’s fitter than he’s ever been,” said managing director Whitmarsh.

“He’s more focused. I think that was a flawless drive this weekend from him.

“He was tough at the beginning when he needed to be which was tactically the right thing to do he was running a pretty good strategy.

“He did everything that he was asked to do, it was an absolutely fantastic consistent drive from him.

“I think he’s been phenomenally strong in the mind to have dealt with frustrations and disappointments to do that.

“I mean, at the moment in terms of strength of character, both of our drivers are truly outstanding.”

Raikkonen handed McLaren a double podium as he finished up third having started 12th on the grid after being handed a penalty for an engine change.

Whitmarsh believes Raikkonen’s first serious reversal at the hands of Montoya will serve as perfect motivation as he bids to haul in Alonso.

Alonso leads the championship by 26 points after recent bad luck hurt Raikkonen’s challenge but Montoya’s Silverstone form will quickly focus the Finn’s mind, claims Whitmarsh.

“Kimi will be pretty fired up by this weekend’s result and they are full of respect for other drivers but they want to beat each other which is what you want, you want drivers who want to beat each other,” he added.

“Kimi knows he’s got to win, Kimi knows he’s had a number of races now, especially the last two, which should have been possibly a straightforward easy victory for him so he will be absolutely fired up to go and win the next race.

“I think we’ll find Juan Pablo is going to come out of this weekend with confidence and more self-belief and therefore we’re going to have a great combination.

“We genuinely want the drivers to be pushing each other along and that’s a philosophy we have and it’s going to make both of our drivers prove to themselves that they’re at their very best.”