Juan Pablo Montoya blames Schumacher for denying his chance with Ferrari

Juan Pablo Montoya

Paris, Sep 11 (IANS) Former Formula One driver Juan Pablo Montoya said injured seven-time champion Michael Schumacher was the man who blocked him from possible move to Ferrari, media reports said Wednesday.

The 38-year-old Colombian, who was linked with a switch to Ferrari before he made a sudden leave from F1 in 2006, paid a rare visit the recent weekend to Monza, the circuit where he recorded his first grand prix win in 2001.

Asked by Italian publication Autosprint if he could have joined the Scuderia during his F1 career, Montoya gave a frank but bold response.

"It was never possible," he said. "Michael Schumacher was there and he hated me."

Montoya, a seven-time grand prix winner, had a rivalry against Schumacher during his F1 spite of 2001-2006. But he seemed less critical after the 45-year-old German was injured last December due to a skiing accident that left him hospitalised for more than nine months.

"I'm really sorry about how he is now," said Montoya, who recently opened a successful campaign in IndyCar after several years in NASCAR. "I just hope he continues to recover."