First lap shunt end's Montoya's raceJuan Pablo Montoya blamed former world champion Jacques
Jacques Villeneuve for pushing him off the track in the Japanese Grand Prix and costing his McLaren team a possible one-two finish.
Montoya, who won the preceding race in Brazil, started
from the back after a rain-hit qualifying and tried to work his way through the pack at the start only to clatter into the barriers before the first lap was completed. It was Montoya's third race collision in five races.
"That was a real disappointment for me and the team because we probably could have had a one-two today which would have been fantastic," he said. "I got off the line well but I think Kimi and I touched but nothing happened. Then
Jacques Villeneuve missed the chicane, pushed me off the track, and that was the end."
The incident was put under investigation with the stewards. "I never even saw Montoya so I have no idea what he might have been trying to do when he went off,"
Jacques Villeneuve stated.
McLaren Mercedes continually seem to suffer problems securing one-two finishes and despite their dominance this year their only one so far, which came in Brazil, was their first for more than five years.
Raikkonen managed to secure a hard-earned victory Sunday but had to overcome a ten position penalty for an engine change as well as the rain in qualifying that put him 17th on the grid for the start of the race.
McLaren boss Ron Dennis declared the race Raikkonen's 'best ever' but was keen to draw a line under the collision between
Jacques Villeneuve and Montoya and move on to the next round in Shanghai.
The field reconvenes Thursday after the short flight to China and McLaren now trail Renault in the constructors' championship after their rivals secured second and third places in the Suzuka race.
"This has been a challenging weekend so we are now already looking forward to an exciting end to the season in Shanghai where our aim is to clinch the constructors' title," said Dennis.
E.A. Source AFP
