Just one week to go until the final day of preseason testing in Bahrain.

So we'll soon have some indication as to who's going to be

the most competitive in 2024. And I hope you're enjoying our countdown to the new series of this podcast and it's

helping pass the time as we approach the new F1 season and on day 19 of 30 days of

Beyond the Grid I've chosen a clip from my chat with Juan Pablo Montoya back in 2018.

The Colombian was fast. He was unpredictable. He was controversial and he was one of the most exciting characters both on and off the track during his six seasons in Formula One from 2001 to 2006

Across his stints with Williams and McLaren, Montoya won seven Grand Prix, took 13 pole positions and stepped on the podium 30 times.

For a man of his talent and raw speed, his time in F1 felt short,

especially given the fact he actually left halfway through the 2006 campaign.

So when I caught up with JPM I wanted to find out why he made such a hasty exit and whether he has any regrets

I left my client from I won in a bad time, you know I mean if I would have stayed an extra year approving world champion, but if some but some count, you know what I mean? For me I didn't want to say I'm a client and I knew they were going to be good but I didn't want to be part of it at the time

So for myself I was I think 31 design 32 and I'm thinking you know everybody stopped to run 35

I don't want to go and run for three years in a mid-pack team

So you thought McLaren in 2006 was becoming a mid-acting.

I mean they were just lacking power because mechanically the car you know we did a lot of

suspension changes I did a lot of work on that and the car I was actually driving really good when I left.

They just had no power.

Well look, while we're talking about then, let's continue talking about that because 2005 you joined McLaren.

Yeah. How quickly did things go downhill with that team because I think the

hard thing in McLaren was and I wasn't public about it how much I struggled driving that car, how much I hated the car.

The 2-5 car.

Oh my God, I just couldn't drive it.

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