[Video] Montoya flat-out in Ferrari F2008 F1 car

Montoya won the 1998 F3000 championship, won the 1999 CART championship in his rookie season, and then made his way to F1 with Williams for 2001. He was fast, sometimes controversial and also one of the few drivers who could put serious pressure on Ferrari’s Michael Schumacher at the very peak of his career. Montoya took his first win in that opening season with Williams, then finished third in the drivers’ standings in ’02 and ’03. In 2005 he moved to McLaren before leaving half way through the ’06 season in something of a strop, having racked up seven wins in an all too brief F1 career. The drive that never happened, that many wished had, was Montoya at Ferrari.

It’s fair to say Montoya still knows how to push a Formula 1 car, specifically the Ferrari F2008 that took Ferrari to its last constructors’ title and very nearly gave Felipe Massa the drivers’ title. From the moment Montoya gets out on track he’s on it, pushing the 2.4-litre V8 all the way to the rev limiter as soon as he leaves the pits like it’s one of his old race weekends, and flying around the beautiful Mugello circuit. The speeds are high, the noise incredible – this is eight minutes of Ferrari and Montoya heaven.

Welcome to Goodwood Elevenses, a mid-morning helping of motoring-related amusement to help break up your day. Watch the last video: What’s it like to be a stunt driver at Disneyland?