Montoya has edge in test of nerve

JUAN PABLO MONTOYA proved he is back with a bang in Formula One after winning a battle of wills with Fernando Alonso at the British Grand Prix in Silverstone.

Montoya took the chequered flag for the first time with new team McLaren, and for the fifth time in a career which has promised so much but often failed to deliver.

When the Colombian joined the Woking-based team from Williams for this year, the belief was that if the car delivered, he was talented enough to be a serious title challenger.

However, a shoulder injury sustained while playing tennis earlier this year ruled him out of both the Bahrain and San Marino Grands Prix, and since then Montoya has effectively played second fiddle to team-mate and championship challenger Kimi Raikkonen.

But the 29-year-old stepped out of the Finn’s shadow, showing he has not lost any of his famed ‘bottle’.

Starting from third on the grid, Montoya was confident he had too much pace for front-row Briton Jenson Button at the start, and that victory would depend on whether he could also pass pole man Fernando Alonso.

Once the five red lights went out to signal the start of the 60-lap race, Montoya did blast past BAR star Button before finding himself duelling alongside Alonso’s Renault in the first few corners.

Heading into Becketts, the two drivers were neck and neck, before Alonso eventually opted to give way.

“That was where the race was won,” said a beaming Montoya.

“I knew Fernando wasn’t willing to risk too much, and I was willing to risk more, so I knew he would back off. He bailed out, not completely, but just enough for me to get him.

Alonso felt he had the better race strategy and should have won but for Silverstone’s marshals, who failed to blue flag back markers just prior to his second pit stop when he was looking to build up a time cushion to ensure he came out ahead of Montoya.

“The four or five laps I went longer in the second stint should have helped me win the race, but unfortunately there was traffic, with the blue flags not working at all this race,” said a glum Alonso.

“I lost three seconds with Jarno Trulli, which was not his fault because there were no blue flags, so he probably didn’t know I was fighting for the victory at that time.”

But at a circuit where Alonso felt he would struggle with his Renault, he instead has opened up a further two-point gap to Raikkonen, with the margin now 26 points with eight rounds of the championship remaining.

“I am extremely happy with this result, even though I didn’t win, but from the point of view of the championship it’s a good result,” added the Spaniard.