Barrichello, speaking at a news conference at Ferrari's winter retreat on Wednesday, was asked about his close friend, Williams's Colombian driver Juan Pablo Montoya, who has decided to switch to McLaren for the 2005 season.

Asked how Montoya would cope in 2004 with racing for a team he knows he is going to leave at the end of the season, Barrichello said: "I am sure that if he has the chance to win the title that he will give his all because he wants to win.

"But if it is a tough season, if he is midway down the standings at the halfway stage of the season and not in a good situation then he needs to have a very good head to be motivated to have the concentration and the focus to continue to try and win.

"If he starts to think that next season is going to be different then it will be difficult," he said.