Axed Spyker driver Tiago Monteiro has delivered a predictably less-than-rosy account of his former team’s progress so far this season.
The 30-year-old Portuguese was surprised and disappointed to lose the seat he had occupied for two years to rookie Adrian Sutil in 2007.
But Monteiro, who is currently ninth in the drivers’ standings after taking refuge in the FIA’s world touring car championship, praised his inexperienced successor for showing the way to his former teammate Christijan Albers.
“Sutil is a good driver who is making life for Albers very difficult,” Monteiro told the Dutch magazine Formule 1 Race Report.
Monteiro said he believed the more experienced Albers was struggling to adapt to Bridgestone’s new single-formula spec tyre.
“It seems he cannot get used to them,” Monteiro said, “but he will have to if he doesn’t want to be over-run by Sutil.”
On the fortunes of Silverstone based Spyker, however, Monteiro said it appeared that the Dutch-owned camp had taken a step back since 2006.
“I have maintained contract with some of the engineers and mechanics and they are fairly pessimistic,” he added.
“The gap to the rest of the field has become even larger.”
