LONDON, 9 December 2003 — Readers of Britain’s Autosport magazine have snubbed Ferrari’s Michael Schumacher, despite the German winning a record sixth Formula One title this year, in favor of Colombian rival Juan Pablo Montoya.
Montoya, third for Williams this year after winning two races, won a vote for the international driver of the year at the Autosport awards ceremony.
It was the first time since 1994, when Schumacher took his first title at Benetton, that the award had not gone to the same year’s Formula One champion. Briton Damon Hill won in 1994 after leading Williams’ challenge to Schumacher following the death of Brazilian Ayrton Senna.
Schumacher, who won six races and finally surpassed the championships record he held jointly with the late Argentine Juan Manuel Fangio, had won for the past three years but would have come away empty handed this time had he attended on Sunday. Bentley’s Le Mans-winning Speed Eight was racing car of the year, ahead of the Formula One championship-winning F2003-GA that secured Ferrari their fifth successive constructors’ crown.
The Italian team, however, were awarded a special prize for technical excellence, collected by technical director Ross Brawn, designer Rory Byrne and engine head Paolo Martinelli.
Montoya, who grinned when reminded of some of his audacious overtaking manoeuvres on Schumacher, will be starting his last season at Williams next year after signing for McLaren for 2005.
Britain to Take French Grand Prix Slot
Next year’s British Formula One Grand Prix at Silverstone is set to move to the date reserved for France on the calendar.
Silverstone organizers announced yesterday that they had begun selling tickets for the race, with the date set provisionally as July 9-11.
That date originally belonged to the French Grand Prix at Magny-Cours, the cancellation of which is expected to be confirmed on Friday due to financial problems.
The race is due to return to Magny-Cours from 2005.
