Full Throttle

So much for a competitve 2004 season. The “Prancing Horses” smoke the field again.

Here is the latest gossip concerning who will replace Juan Pablo Montoya in 2005.

Indy Racing League (IRL) champion Scott Dixon could be on Williams’s radar as the Formula One team considers candidates to replace Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya. Team boss Frank Williams confirmed there had been contact with the 23-year-old driver but said that any speculation was “very premature”.

“We were in touch with him, had the odd conversation although in fact I can truthfully say that I haven’t had any conversation with him myself,” he told Reuters at the Australian Grand Prix. “We’ve obviously got to fill Juan’s place and we look at every single name who’s possible. It could be 50 names.”

1 Michael Schumacher (GER) Ferrari 1:24.408
2 Rubens Barrichello (BRA) Ferrari 1:24.482 + 0:00.074
3 Juan Pablo Montoya (COL) Williams-BMW 1:24.998 + 0:00.590
4 Jenson Button (GBR) BAR Honda 1:24.998 + 0:00.590
5 Fernando Alonso (ESP) Renault 1:25.699 + 0:01.291
6 Mark Webber (AUS) Jaguar 1:25.805 + 0:01.397
7 Takuma Sato (JPN) BAR Honda 1:25.851 + 0:01.443
8 Ralf Schumacher (GER) Williams-BMW 1:25.925 + 0:01.517
9 Jarno Trulli (ITA) Renault 1:26.290 + 0:01.882
10 Kimi R?ikk?nen (FIN) McLaren Mercedes 1:26.297 + 0:01.889
11 Felipe Massa (BRA) Sauber Petronas 1:27.065 + 0:02.657
12 David Coulthard (GBR) McLaren Mercedes 1:27.294 + 0:02.886
13 Cristiano Da Matta (BRA) Toyota 1:27.823 + 0:03.415
14 Giancarlo Fisichella (ITA) Sauber Petronas 1:27.845 + 0:03.437
15 Nick Heidfeld (GER) Jordan Ford 1:28.178 + 0:03.770
16 Giorgio Pantano (ITA) Jordan Ford 1:30.140 + 0:05.732
17 Zsolt Baumgartner (HUN) Minardi Cosworth 1:30.681 + 0:06.273
18 Olivier Panis (FRA) Toyota out
19 Christian Klien (AUT) Jaguar out
20 Gianmaria Bruni (ITA) Minardi Cosworth out