Monteiro confident he will be Spyker’s second driver
The news agency 'Agence France-Presse' published an interview with the 30-year-old on Tuesday, in which he indicated that an official announcement is imminent.
Monteiro raced for the Silverstone based outfit in 2005 and 2006, but the FIA's official entry list this week reinforced that the only confirmed Spyker driver for 2007 is Dutchman Christijan Albers.
In Oporto on Monday, Monteiro reportedly explained that the delay of his new deal related only to contractual details.
"I am confident," he said.
Monteiro added: "The Spyker team has always said that it counted on me. It is taking a little longer than we envisaged, but everything is still looking good."
10/19/06 We are bumping this rumor up to 'strong' today. Tiago Monteiro said at Interlagos on Thursday that he is likely to remain Christijan Albers' teammate at the Spyker-MF1 team next year. "It's looking very good," the Portuguese said in a news conference. "It's not signed so we cannot say anything yet, but it's a matter of details now." We have updated our 2007 F1 Silly Season page. As you can see, most seats are now spoken for so now those left out will begin their search for a test drive role or a Champ Car ride.
10/16/06 Tiago Monteiro believes it is only "a matter of details" which are slowing down the deal which will see him confirmed as the second driver for the Spyker F1 team for the 2007 season. Thirty-year-old Monteiro says he works well with the teams confirmed driver, Christijan Albers, and that despite the various drivers linked with the spot he is the one that will be in the drivers seat come the start of the season. "In my head I'm staying here! We'll find out soon enough. Obviously we're working on a totally different basis now." "The team knows what I'm worth, they know what I can do, and like Christijan I would become a paid driver and not a paying driver. We're are negotiating now," said Monteiro on the teams website. "We've put Spyker in contact with some sponsors, and it's up to them to finalize those deals. For me it's a different kind of negotiation now."
The rumor mill is continuing to churn out other possible candidates, with Christian Klien seen as a favorite, but Monteiro is hearing none of it. "There are always drivers on the market of course, there's always competition, but Spyker have told me that they have faith in me, and what they want to do. Now it's a matter of the details, I guess!" Planet F1