Breathtaking skill leaves Hakkinen set for title

FERRARI LACKS SPEED

But he admitted Ferrari, without a drivers' title since 1979, had lacked the speed required to beat the ever-improving McLaren team in the last two races.
"We have improved the car here and in the gap between Hungary and this race," he said. "But it has not been enough.
"But I know that things can change quickly and with four races to go I am still optimistic. We can do a lot more than this."

Ferrari's legion of flag-waving fans will certainly hope he is right and will show their feelings at the Monza circuit this week when the teams begin testing there on Tuesday.
"This was very disappointing for us," said Ferrari's sporting director Jean Todt.
"We did not get the result we could have done with Michael. We lost to a very strong and a very lucky driver.
"We are six points behind in the drivers' championship and eight behind in the constructors. But there is still everything to play for and we will continue to strive for success with our usual determination."

With races in Italy, the United States, Japan and Malaysia to come, the Finn is in a strong position to become the first driver since Argentine Juan-Manuel Fangio to score a hat-trick of titles.
Fangio won four successive championships from 1954 to 1957, with different teams. No driver has managed to win three successive championships since then and no team, except McLaren, has supplied a car to win three successive drivers' titles.
McLaren succeeded in 1984 to 1986 when Austrian Nika Lauda, with one win, and Frenchman Alain Prost, with two, dominated the drivers' title race.
The team repeated the feat between 1988 and 1991 when Brazilian Ayrton Senna took three drivers titles and Prost one.

Prost to reveal plans for new era this week

Sauber announce Heidfeld signing from Prost

Sauber team principal Peter Sauber is delighted with the deal and hopes he can help in the development of the 1999 Formula 3000 champion.
"We now have the chance to build a long-term relationship with a young driver," Sauber said. "Nick Heidfeld has shown so much potential in his career that we would have liked to have signed him a year ago."

Heidfeld is expected to replace Pedro Diniz at Sauber after sources from the team revealed at the Belgian Grand Prix that Brazilian Diniz is set to complete a swap deal by joining Prost.
The sources said that deal is set to be confirmed this week.

Button disappointed with fifth place

Button equalled his second best finish in Spa, after finishing fourth at the German Grand Prix and fifth at the Austrian and British Grands Prix.
He now has 10 points in his debut season in Formula One.
Team mate Ralf Schumacher finished third in the race, his team's second podium finish of the season.

Coulthard defends safety car start

However McLaren's Coulthard, who won at Spa last year, said International Automobile Federation (FIA) race director Charlie Whiting had asked him before the race about the safety car and he had agreed it should be used.
"It took away the opportunity to overtake but it also took away the potential for an incident," said the Scot, who is a drivers' representative on an FIA safety committee.
"I know there will be a debate over it but the fact is I was asked beforehand and I said that, based on the previous years we've had here, the safest thing is to have a safety car start.
"You can have the have-a-go heroes into the first corner and your whole weekend is ruined. so I'd rather be finishing fourth than going out at first corners.
In 1998, the race was halted after more than half the grid was caught up in the biggest opening lap pile-up in Formula One history. Coulthard was at the centre of that incident, with his car rebounding across the track at the La Source hairpin.
"We've seen a mumber of incidents here over the last few years when we've had wet starts, with cars going out at the first corner," he said.
"Surely for everybody its got to be better to see all the cars making it round the first lap and then race from there."

The safety car was used after heavy rain in the morning but the track dried quickly and drivers pitted to change from "wet" to "dry" tyres as early as the sixth lap.
The Scot said he had not given up on his title ambitions despite falling further behind with just four races remaining. He has 61 points, to Hakkinen's 74, after finishing fourth behind his winning team mate.
"I am (still chasing the title) but obviously now it's getting further away," said Coulthard.
"I don't know the exact maths but I guess I've got to win the next four races and that's going to be difficult against the competition, but a lot of things can happen."

Team by team analysis of Belgian Grand Prix

MCLAREN (Mika Hakkinen 1, David Coulthard 4)
Hakkinen lost his lead on lap 13 after spinning at Stavelot but regained it from Michael Schumacher on lap 41, three laps from the finish for his fourth win of the season.
Coulthard lost five places when Hakkinen was given preference for a slick-tyre pit-stop on lap seven. He battled with Jordan's Heinz-Harald Frentzen for most of the race.

FERRARI (Michael Schumacher 2, Rubens Barrichello retired)
Schumacher took the lead on lap 13 but lost pace late in the race, when Hakkinen caught him. Brazilian Barrichello battled with BAR's Jacques Villeneuve early on for sixth place but retired in the pit-lane after running out of fuel on lap 33.

WILLIAMS (Ralf Schumacher 3, Jenson Button 5)
Schumacher made up two places on lap four after team-mate Button hit Jordan's Jarno Trulli at La Source. Two well-timed pit-stops helped him to equal his best result of the season.
Button pressurised Trulli until a mistake at La Source made him clip the Italian and force him into a spin. Button lost two places, but recovered with another confident drive.

JORDAN (Heinz-Harald Frentzen 6, Jarno Trulli retired)
Frentzen stayed in or around the top six for the entire race, holding up Coulthard until he was passed when the pair came in for a second pit-stop at the same time.
Trulli completed four laps before being clipped by Button and stalling his engine in a spin.

BAR (Jacques Villeneuve 7, Ricardo Zonta 12)
Villeneuve suffered a lack of pace while Zonta made an early mistake at the Bus Stop chicane on lap four when he ran across the grass.

JAGUAR (Johnny Herbert 8, Eddie Irvine 10)
Herbert powered to his second best result of the season but never threatened the top six. Irvine swapped places with the Sauber of Mika Salo throughout the 44 laps, before tailing off in the latter stages.

SAUBER (Mika Salo 9, Pedro Diniz 11)
The Finn fought with the Jaguars for most of the race and improved as conditions got drier. Brazilian Diniz stayed out on his original intermediate wet tyres for 22 laps before coming in for a change to slicks. The decision cost him places in the first half of the race.

BENETTON (Alexander Wurz 13, Giancarlo Fisichella retired)
Wurz had a disappointing race with his only competition coming from the back markers. Fisichella started in the spare car after a heavy crash in the morning's warm-up. He retired after eight laps with electrical and engine problems at the Bus Stop chicane when running 15th.

MINARDI (Marc Gene 14, Gaston Mazzacane 17)
Gene started on the back row of the grid and despite finishing ahead of the Arrows, his most influential contribution was holding up Michael Schumacher late in the race as Mika Hakkinen closed in on the then leader.
Mazzacane was two laps down on Hakkinen and his car lacked pace and power, never getting close to overtaking anyone.

ARROWS (Jos Verstappen 15, Pedro de la Rosa 16)
Verstappen only made a place up when Benetton's Fisichella retired on the 10th lap. He never looked comfortable with the handling of his car. De la Rosa's race was ruined when he was given a 10-second stop-go penalty.

PROST (Jean Alesi and Nick Heidfeld retired)
Alesi ran in fourth for a while but a mechanical problem with his Peugeot engine ended his race at the Bus Stop chicane after he had completed 32 laps. Heidfeld retired after completing 12 laps with another engine problem. He coasted to a halt on the grass to complete a miserable weekend.

Hakkinen wins and tightens grip on title

Double world champion Schumacher admitted afterwards that his Ferrari was not fast enough for him to resist Hakkinen in the final laps of the race.
That was when Hakkinen, on a charge as he attempted to rectify the mistake which had cost him the lead, closed down the German's advantage from 11.5 seconds after 21 laps to just half a second and began attempting to pass him.
On one overtaking attempt at Les Combes on lap 39, Schumacher closed the door by moving across to the right.

CONTROVERSY

That move provoked a minor controversy afterwards as Hakkinen suggested they may have touched wheels -- and also hinted that it was not a fair defensive move.
Hakkine said he thought that Schumacher had moved not once, as permitted in the current interpretation of the regulations, but twice.
"Yes. To be honest, that is what I thought happened. But it is easy to react like this when you are feeling emotional immediately after the race," he said.
"It is better to look at the video and understand it properly. But I did think something strange was going on and that it was not fair. But I am cool about it now. I am not really complaining."

The duel between the two outstanding protagonists in the title battle dominated the race, which started in wet conditions behind a Safety Car with nearly everyone on "wet" tyres until they made early pit-stops to switch to "dry" tyres.
Hakkinen led from pole position until lap 13, when he made his half-spin mistake. Schumacher, reeling off fastest laps, then led until he pitted on lap 22, leaving Hakkinen in front.
But Schumacher regained the lead when Hakkinen made his second stop and stayed there until Hakkinen produced the breathtaking passing move on lap 41.
As the pair powered up the hill towards Les Combes, with Schumacher just half a second ahead and Hakkinen closing fast, they came up on Brazilian Ricardo Zonta's BAR.
Schumacher darted to the left to pass and, at a point where there is hardly room for more than two cars side by side, Hakkinen swept through on the right.
He took a risk and it paid off.
"My earlier half-spin was caused by a slippery and wet patch on the side of the track," said Hakkinen. "But the passing move was something different.
"I was quicker than Michael through La Source and Eau Rouge and up the hill in seventh gear. I had the tow from the backmarker and when Michael went left I went right and...well, that was it."

Formula one world championship standings

Drivers' championship:
1. Mika Hakkinen (Finland) McLaren 74 points
2. Michael Schumacher (Germany) Ferrari 68
3. David Coulthard (Britain) McLaren 61
4. Rubens Barrichello (Brazil) Ferrari 49
5. Ralf Schumacher (Germany) Williams 20
6. Giancarlo Fisichella (Italy) Benetton 18
7. Jacques Villeneuve (Canada) BAR 11
8. Jenson Button (Britain) Williams 10
9. Heinz-Harald Frentzen (Germany) Jordan 7
10= Mika Salo (Finland) Sauber 6
10= Jarno Trulli (Italy) Jordan 6
12. Eddie Irvine (Britain) Jaguar 3
13= Jos Verstappen (Netherlands) Arrows 2
13= Pedro de la Rosa (Spain) Arrows 2
15. Ricardo Zonta (Brazil) BAR 1

Constructors' championship:
1. McLaren 125 points
2. Ferrari 117
3. Williams 30
4. Benetton 18
5. Jordan 13
6. Bar 12
7. Sauber 6
8. Arrows 4
9. Jaguar 3

Belgian Grand Prix result

Not Classified:
Rubens Barrichello (Brazil) Ferrari 32 laps completed
Jean Alesi (France) Prost 32 laps
Nick Heidfeld (Germany) Prost 12 laps
Giancarlo Fisichella (Italy) Benetton 8 laps
Jarno Trulli (Italy) Jordan 4 laps

Fastest lap: Rubens Barrichello (Brazil) Ferrari one minute 53.803 seconds (220.423 kph)

Belgian Grand Prix incidents

Lap 1 - Race started behind safety car due to wet conditions. World champion Mika Hakkinen led from pole position. Safety car came in after one lap completed.
Lap 5 - Ferrari's Michael Schumacher moved up to second place after Briton Jenson Button's Williams touched the Jordan of Italian Jarno Trulli at the La Source hairpin. Trulli, who started second, spun and retired.
Lap 6 - Schumacher makes his first pit stop.
Lap 10 - Italian Giancarlo Fisichella, who had big crash in warm-up, retired his Benetton with electrical trouble after being hit by Jos Verstappen's Arrows.
Lap 13 - Championship leader Hakkinen half spun at Stavelot corner, Schumacher takes the lead after reeling off five successive fastest laps.
- German Nick Heidfeld retired his Prost.
- Spaniard Pedro de la Rosa, in an Arrows, enters pits for 10 second stop-go penalty imposed for overtaking under the safety car at start.
Lap 33 - Brazilian Rubens Barrichello retired his Ferrari after slowing and coasting to a halt before reaching pit. Mechanics run to his aid and push him remaining distance.
- Frenchman Jean Alesi retired his Prost after running as high as fifth and raising hopes of the French team's first points finish of season.
- Schumacher leads Hakkinen.
Lap 41 - Hakkinen passes Schumacher for lead on run up to Les Combes as both lapped Brazilian Riccardo Zonta's BAR.

Trulli convinced he can secure podium finish

It is the second time Trulli has put Jordan on the front row this season. He started second at the Monaco Grand Prix in June.
Then, however, he was plagued by a gearbox problem and was forced out of the race at the halfway stage.
Trulli's optimism for a good result on Sunday is generated by his love for the track, coupled with the fact that Jordan have a solid record at the circuit.
Last year Trulli's team mate Heinz-Harald Frentzen secured third place while in 1998 Damon Hill and Ralf Schumacher, then Jordan drivers, secured first and second places on the podium.
"Spa is my favourite circuit," said Trulli. "I am very comfortable with it. Also the car is very quick around this track. It suits it. I am feeling confident for Sunday because we also have a very good record here.
"We have been very unlucky too many times. We have lost too many points and too many podiums so I think I really deserve to do well. This race is the one for me."

Mosley calls "summit" with teams next week

Mosley said that spectators who paid to see Friday practice were often frustrated because teams spent too little time on the track, particularly at circuits where they test frequently during the season.
"The problem we have at the moment is that everybody wants to conserve tyres during Friday practice sessions and are reluctant to go out on to the circuit." Grid positions are decided in Saturday's qualifying.
Earlier this season, Formula One's commercial ringmaster Bernie Ecclestone said the present arrangement was not satisfactory. He said Friday and Saturday times should be aggregated for qualifying.
Mosley disagreed. "Qualifying on Saturday has become a world-wide sporting event in itself," he said.
"Television viewing figures are almost up to the level of the races themselves. If you aggregate qualifying times then the whole event is diluted."

Former Jaguar chairman Jackie Stewart said he was opposed to reducing the timespan of the weekend.
"I think it needs three days to accommodate the potential variations in the weather and at the same time it helps the individual race promoter," he said.
"We travel great distances at considerable expense moving these cars and equipment around the world and this justifies three-day meetings.
"If we were going to Australia for three, or two days, for example, it would not make any difference to the air freight costs."

McLaren chief Ron Dennis and Ferrari sporting director Jean Todt were not forthcoming about the issue at the Belgian Grand Prix.
"I think it is an inappropriate forum to discuss it here," said Dennis."

Coulthard needs 'a miracle' in Spa

Coulthard added that he and the team will work throughout the night to get the set-up just right for Sunday's race.
"We have got a lot of work to do to try and solve the problems. I know it is going to be very hard to work my way through the cars in front. I will be doing a lot of praying tonight."

Hakkinen grabs pole spot for Belgian GP

Championship leader Hakkinen secured his fifth pole of the year and the 26th of his career with a best time of one minute 50.646 seconds, holding off a strong challenge from Trulli in the process.
"We made a lot of changes to the car during the day and they paid off," said Hakkinen. "The real trick here is to find the right set-up because it is a tricky track. To get a really fast lap time, you have to get it all right."

Hakkinen's understated joy was understandable as he has never won the Belgian Grand Prix and his chief rival for the title, Schumacher, has won it four times, and also regards it as his favourite circuit.

BEST QUALIFYING POSITION
Button achieved the best qualifying position of his career, and his confidence in the week after he had announced his loan transfer from Williams to Benetton for the 2001 and 2002 seasons was easily apparent.
"I was aiming for the top six, not third, so it is a bit of a shock," he said. "But it was fantastic to drive areound here and to see the British fans in the crowd. To be honest, I feel really ecstatic. It's just great."

Button's performance was widely regarded as a significant endorsement of his talent while Trulli's effort followed his second-on-the-grid performance at this year's Monaco Grand Prix for Jordan.
"Yes, it is very different from Monaco, but I managed to just do everything right," he said.
Trulli allayed Hakkinen's fears about the start and said he had no intention of taking any risks. "I just want to finish and to score points in this race, I have had too much bad luck this year," he said.
The session was run in near-perfect dry and warm conditions at the often rain-lashed Spa-Francorchamps circuit, with Hakkinen setting the pace and only Trulli pushing him, briefly, out of the top position.
Schumacher, needing a good result on Sunday to keep alive his title challenge after leading the contest until the Hungary race two weeks ago, scraped into fourth place with a flying lap in the closing minute.

Belgian Grand Prix grid positions

No team orders insists McLaren chief

~I think that has happened about five times in 10 years and I don't see it being required this time.
"If it does happen, however, we will make that fact available. If you don't hear anything then you can assume the drivers have driven in accordance with the team and that the outcome not only fulfils their own aspirations but those of the team.
"Each race is discussed at various stages during the weekend, although obviously it doesn't always go right and there are times when one driver has squeezed another or they have touched -- but that is a price we are willing to pay."

Ferrari sporting director Jean Todt said his team's relegation from top spot had only increased their drive to land their first drivers' crown since 1979.
"We are even more determined to get back to the top," he said. "We know it has been a very difficult championship, but when you have a strong team in front of you and it is so close with five races to go, then it is important to start winning.
"The team is very motivated and working together with the same aim. We have a very good spirit in the team, the team members respect each other and it is good to work in this kind of atmosphere."

Coulthard sets pace in practice

Briton Johnny Herbert was the surprise of the day, as he posted the third quickest time. The Jaguar driver, who is leaving Formula One at the end of the year, put in his quick lap in the dying seconds of the session.
Canadian Jacques Villeneuve, who has walked away from two big accidents at the track in the last two years, was an encouraging fourth fastest in his British American Racing car.
Villeneuve said: "I don't think we will be able to improve the car much on Saturday, so it will be a matter of whether the other teams can find much more speed."

German Michael Schumacher proved Ferrari were still lacking the ultimate pace of the McLarens as he could manage no better than fourth fastest, more than eight tenths of a second slower than Coulthard.
"I am just looking at the difference in lap times between myself and Hakkinen," Schumacher said. "The gap is not that big and I feel comfortable with the situation."

The former world champion will, however, hope for improved fortunes in Saturday's qualifying session when he will get to use a new engine which is slightly faster.
Austrian Alexander Wurz, in the Benetton, was a promising sixth, ahead of Dutchman Jos Verstappen in the Arrows and Italian Giancarlo Fisichella in the Benetton.
The practice sessions, which took place under clear blue skies, were relatively incident free as drivers perfected their qualifying and race set-ups.

Belgian Grand Prix practice times

Prost hints at team announcement

"You will understand why I can't say anything because I don't want to compromise the future."

Despite his difficult season, Prost has refused to be too downbeat about his current situation.
"The season has been very bad and we could see at the start of the season that the car was not very good," he said.
"I would say that in Formula One it is very hard to compete against big car companies and, when you are 1.5 seconds down, it is very hard to catch up. Those last five tenths are very expensive."

Coulthard spies on fast-starting team mate Hakkinen

Hakkinen, seeking his third world title in a row, has 64 points, two ahead of Schumacher and six ahead of Coulthard, with five of the 17-race season remaining.
The Finn has taken the lead in the last two Grand Prix in Germany and Hungary by the first corner after starting on the second row of the grid. He finished second in Hockenheim and won at the Hungaroring.
Schumacher, however, played down Hakkinen's success, saying: "If you get your start completely right then these things happen. I have made such starts in the past and I will make them in the future."

The German, who led the championship all season until Hungary, will be boosted at the weekend by a new qualifying and race engine, as well as encouraging recent testing sessions at Mugello in Italy.
"As usual we have made a few steps forward in testing and I am feeling quite confident," he said.
Hakkinen said: "Leading the championship is fantastic and I am very happy about it, but the negative aspect is that it is going to be very hard staying ahead until the end of the season."

Schumacher facing big Belgian test

Schumacher made no comment on reports suggesting that Ferrari have made a massive offer to lure McLaren's technical director Adrian Newey to Maranello.
Several Formula One websites have said Ferrari are ready to pay Newey $36 million for a three-year contract.
A McLaren source was quoted as saying: "They certainly made him an offer last year and it's not hard to imagine them doing so again, although I don't know about the figures.
"One way of looking at it is that Michael guarantees you one car at the front, but Adrian guarantees you two."

"Everybody likes money, but whether Adrian would be prepared to go to Italy is a different question."

Hakkinen said: "There is no doubt that I'm looking forward to this race. It's nice to be leading the championship but I'm focusing on this weekend's grand prix.
"I spent two days testing at Silverstone last week where we hoped it would rain so we could get in some wet-weather running before Spa. Unfortunately it stayed sunny but we're in good shape for the race.
"There are plenty of overtaking opportunities on the track but hopefully I will not need them."

His team mate David Coulthard is six points behind but said that a repeat of his triumph last year, when he led the Finn home in a McLaren one-two, would put him back in the title frame.
"I like this track and it's a real challenge as you have to work really hard all the time," Coulthard said.
"When you are comfortable in the car and manage to get a lap just right it's a fantastic feeling. I'm feeling confident and I hope I can make it two in a row."

Salo to join F1 newcomers Toyota-report

Ferrari, The Love Song For The Red Car, Is The Most Popular MP3 Italian Song On Internet!

vittorio.merlo@ci.culture.lu
http://www.mp3.com/vmerlo

Since almost 1 year FERRARI, the love song for the Red Car, is the most popular MP3 Italian song on Internet!
- more then 80.000 downloads and streamings in less then 1 year
- more then 80.000 visits at Vittorio's website on MP3.Com
- many other songs by Vittorio are or have been in the various MP3.Com charts, but it is with FERRARI in his MAMBO REMIX version that Vittorio is having a big success on Internet!
Written immediately after Schumacher's last year accident in Silverstone, Ferrari is a real love song for the Italian PASSIONE. It is released in 3 language versions (Italian, English and German), 2 musical styles (romantic and mambo remix) and with a recent instrumental version where the Engine plays as soloist! Every day many Ferrari fans write from everywhere in the World to Vittorio to say "thank you" or, like a Ferrari fan from California to say: "... Vittorio is a great singer, and he sounds even better on a hot summer day, driving down the California coast in a Testarossa, while smoking a Cuban Montecristo!! ... " Many thanks for supporting Vittorio Merlo
Here is the text of the English version:

FERRARI
by Vittorio Merlo (SIAE: 48072)

It happens when you’re still a kid
That you become so sick
Then you think it’s passed
But it’s never gone
The heart’s problems are very strong
They bring you pain
They bring you feelings
But you don’t need really remedies
Because you’re patient, with your happiness

And you start learning to love

It is a strange song
For a strange sensation
Everywhere in the world
Dissimilar people
And probably not only us, the Italians
Are ready to touch glasses with you
Are ready to wave the red banners
And to listen once again
To the national anthem

Because we love Ferrari

The red car has won our heart
Not only for the design, not only for the engine
And it is passion without jealousy
However strange it could be
She has had so many men
All kinds of men, tops and flops
And we have loved them
But in the memories, it’s their kismet
They remain only helmets

Because we love Ferrari

Williams 'rejected $45 million Button buy-out'

Robertson said the move to Benetton does not signal that Williams have lost faith in Button, who has scored eight championship points in his debut season.
"Thirty million pounds is a lot of money, so if Frank wouldn't accept that he must think a lot of Jenson. It shows they have not lost confidence in him. This is a great move for him. It was our job to find him a competitive team and that is what we've done. We 're thrilled."

Robertson confirmed that he had spoken to several other teams about signing Button, including British American Racing, Jordan and Jaguar, "to hedge our bets".
He added: "Just because he has signed for Benetton doesn't mean he'll stay there. There is a very, very good chance he will go back to Williams in 2003."
($1=.6664 Pound)

British American Racing confirm Panis signing

Panis, who made his Formula One debut with Ligier in 1994 before moving to Prost in 1997, has one Grand Prix win to his name after victory in Monaco in 1996.
Pollock added: "I want to thank Ricardo for his continuing efforts. There are still five races left this season and he can be assured of our support in his efforts to achieve the best possible results.
"He is undoubtedly a talented young man and will always have a special place within the team as one of our original drivers. We wish him well for the future."

Zonta is expected to join Swiss outfit Sauber next season and said he has already held talks with the team.

Button moves to Benetton

There has been speculation about Button's future for the past three months amid media reports he would be replaced by Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya next season.
Button, who made history as Formula One's youngest points scorer at the Brazilian Grand Prix in March, thanked Williams for giving him his break.
"I will always be eternally grateful to Frank Williams and Patrick Head at Williams for giving me my great opportunity in Formula One," he said on his own website.
"I have some unfinished business at Williams and I'm looking forward to the remaining races this season.
"I feel I'm on a constant learning curve and this year has been really exciting - I cannot wait to get into the car again."

He added: "I'm really looking forward to driving for Renault, Flavio Briatore and the Benetton team.
"Both Renault and Flavio have shown that they know how to win and I'm expecting their package to be excellent, which will enable me to continue to drive competitively. "Giancarlo Fisichella is rated as a great racing driver... All in all, my future looks very bright."

BENETTON BID

Briatore has returned to Benetton looking to re-kindle the success he brought the team with Michael Schumacher in the mid-1990s. The German driver was world champion in 1994 and 1995, the year Benetton also won the constructors' title.
Frank Williams, who retains the right to Button's services from 2003 onwards, said in a statement the 20-year-old had astonished the team with his calmness under pressure.
"There is no doubt in my mind that Jenson will go on to be a truly great racing driver," he said.
Williams will announce their future line-up at the United States Grand Prix next month.
Montoya, the 1999 CART champion, is nearing the end of a three-year contract in the United States with the Chip Ganassi ChampCars team. He won this year's Indianapolis 500.

Belgian Grand Prix facts and figures