Villeneuve seeking F1 return
Eurosport - Wed, 01 Jul 16:51:00 2009
Former F1 world champion Jacques Villeneuve has stressed that he is 'too young' to admit that his time in the top flight is over just yet.
And the Canadian added that his passion for the sport "hasn't faded" in the slightest in the three years that he has been away.
Villeneuve left the grand prix paddock with his tail between his legs midway through the 2006 campaign, parting company with BMW-Sauber following a dispiriting run of results and rather too many accidents for his employer's liking.
The Bavarian manufacturer replaced him with then test driver Robert Kubica before that summer's Hungarian Grand Prix.
Since then, the French-Canadian - son of the late, legendary Ferrari hero Gilles Villeneuve - has made sporadic appearances here and there, most notably competing in the iconic Le Mans 24 Hours for Peugeot in 2007 and 2008, finishing in second place outright alongside Nicolas Minassian and Marc Gene on the latter occasion.
The 1997 title-winner has also turned his hand to NASCAR with reasonable success and made the odd start in the now defunct Middle East and Asia-based Speedcar Series.
Recently he has seen little action, however, having returned to his homeland to settle in Montreal with his wife and two young sons with only the odd foray in motocross, the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series and even karting to distract him.
Now, though he has hinted he wants to get back on-track at the very highest level.
The eleven-time grand prix-winner has already made clear his interest in occupying one of the two available berths at North Carolina-based newcomers USF1 in 2010 - suggesting that he would be a better candidate than any of the American drivers reputedly in the frame - and his appearance at the Monaco Grand Prix in May was rumoured to be not entirely a spectating one.
"I'm still too young to stop, especially since I want to battle it out on the track," the 38-year-old said. "My passion hasn't faded."
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Comment 42 - 61 of 61
perhaps we do not need to bring back personalities, we just need to allow the drivers we have to be themselves without all of us jumping up and down. If they enjoy things we call them a playboy, if the are quiet we say they are dull. Now a days the young ones are so groomed for the media that we do not get to see the real person until they are old enough for it not to matter.
williamconnolly555,
I agree with you that JV has the personality that many current F1 drivers lacks. That's is also the problem with F1 now... sorely lack personality. Drivers are dictated by sponsors and teams on what they should speak to the media. If more personalities is needed, bring back Eddie Irvine as well.
Hopalong Cohen, South Mimms,
There is only 1 ferraribeng and I don't use multiple accounts. If you see ferraribeng, that's the one and only. There is no need for me to hide under different accounts because I don't behave like some stupid fools who write nonsense and keep rewriting everywhere.
I just write my opinion. My opinion is purely mine. Anybody can choose to agree or disagree with it. It is fine and I fully respect it. To me, there is nothing wrong with disagree with someone, but do so respectfully.
I choose to disagree with some of you, but I don't insult anyone here. So, I would appreciate very much that people disagree with me respectfully without accusing me of using multiple accounts.
Everything that I said about Villeneuve is backed up by statistic. Just go back and see all the championship data back dated to 1996 (JV's rookie F1 season) and do some analysis, you will understand where my opinion is coming from. Of course, if some of you feel that you have better insider information, I fully respect that.
tj27oe, thank you very much for those kind words (blushes) and thank you to those 5 people who gave it a thumbs up
18million..............He struggled to get any worthwhile sponsorship......... importantly NOT any Canadian source...AND EMI weren`t too happy either when he allegedly approached them stating he was way younger than John Bon Jovi, and he put his @#$% into his training technique............I wonder.I wonder..
walking with the hamster,just pure dross.
i have thumbed you down ferraribeng (and Rob) because I think you are pair of smart @rses who basically have no idea of what you are talking about. other posters on this board have tried a reasoned argument with you, but you aint gomma listen to them are you.
so i will just thumb you down, nothing to do with being a JV fan.
The thing is Eagle Rob is that you cant prove any of that and that is the issue. All of your arguments are relative, as are mine on this subject.
My personal view is that there was very little between the Ferrari and the McLaren last year. Both cars had circuits that they were better than the other on and towards the end of the season I think that the Renault was also very close to the top two.
What i take exception to in your posts is statements like: "More realistically we should be telling Lewis and his fans to take note of JV's career so they know where they're headed.". Now you could well be right but realistically you have no way of knowing this. The other unknown here is how would JV's career developed if he hadn't gone to BAR? What if he had gone on to Ferrari or McLaren what would he have ended up doing then?
Now before you say it, I am not Canadian or a fan of JV but it truly annoys me when the armchair experts in this forum put down a driver, especially one who won the WDC. Now if you were someone who had driven an F1 car in anger then I would respect your view - but you haven't and neither have I.
I Really Fancy....Time will tell. If that McLaren is still a dog in a couple years, with all of McLarens resources, then so is your man. Engineers build cars on the feedback of their drivers. Forgivable at this stage with the limited testing, but that car has gone backwards, and the Ferrari's (Slower than McLaren at seasons start) are mildly competative. I'm sure you'll tell me that the FIA have ordered all the teams to slow down so they can catch up!
This sport is not about jumping in and turning the key on Sunday. The skills you utilise technically is what makes you a master. Yet I've had no response ever to my queries on why that car isn't improving with such a legend behind the wheel. You'll probably come up with something insanely stupid like " Have you ever thought some cars just can't be improved?" Just @#$%. Nothing is beyond improvement. Maybe not winning races but at least an improvement. He's finishing races lower and lower. It's always "He won the WDC" that's what makes him a Legend. So did JV, and he is certainly not a legend!
On my comments that you high lighted, I repeat Heikki Kovalainen WON a race last year! If all things were equal (cars) he would have needed a three lap advantage to win! You've heard the phrase " I could have won it with my hands tied behind my back and my eyes closed"? Well, thats how Heikki drives and in ANY other car last year, He would not have scored a single point. IMHO that includes a Ferrari!!!!
i like JV's style, he is not so prim and proper like some of the boring drivers we have 'entertaining' us these days, i think a brash American team with JV at the wheel would be great for F1 or whatever breakaway series it will be by then
ferraribeng are you AndrewC logging in with different IDs? Because I was asking the question of AndrewC after his insults of the former World Champion. I wasn't asking you to justify anything and I couldnt give a fish fart wether you can or cant justify your reasoning.
I guess you are mutliple ID user with AndrewC as your nasty side.
Hopalong Cohen, South Mimms,
My answer to "The question is could he do a job for a fledgling F1 team?" is an absolute NO. I don't have to justify my answer because statistic of his stay with BAR and subsequently BAR Honda speaks it all.
Eagle Rob,
Looks like we shared the same opinion. I must have misinterpreted what you mean.
I just realised that there are too many JV fans here who are eager to click thumb down to make your messages being masked out. They just can accept the fact that JV is simply not a fantastic F1 material like his father.
He may be a champion in Champ, Cart or Indy series (forgive me that I'm not sure which) and he was a winner of Indy 500. He is one of the few drivers who experience success both in America series and in F1, but he is still not in the class of Schumacher, Alonso or Hakkinen. As a matter of fact, it is probably not even in the class of Jensen Button.
get bernie the dwarf in a car and send him through afghanistan in it !!
with mosleys whip in close pursuit
AndrewC whatever your personal feelings are for JV are irrelevant, as is your opinion. The question is could he do a job for a fledgling F1 team?
I think the answer is maybe.
Eagle Rob said:
"only a true, blind one eyed McLaren diehard would disagree that the 2008 McLaren was the dominant car"
Well yes Eagle Rob it was the dominant car because the package of driver and car was the best. IMHO LH would have won the WDC in 2008 driving the Ferrari and he would have had help from the FIA - ie no problems at Spa etc.
It was a strange thing to say Rob because for most of 2008 season the Ferrari supporters on this board were telling us that the Ferrari was the best car. That was until the end of the season of course and then they changed their tune. lmfao
He would be more at home in the "FUN HOUSE" he's certainly a joke!
Ahhh....Sarcasm. It's hidden from some, misunderstood by others!
Ferraribeng........why on earth do you think I would diagree with a single word, coma or fullstop you have written. JV is a chump (BUT, he did arrive without the advantage of being based and supported in the Williams Garage for 11 years prior!). I am drawing a comparison with LH and his record. Though, only a true, blind one eyed McLaren diehard would disagree that the 2008 McLaren was the dominant car. Even Heikki managed to win a race and consistently score points in 2008. Heikki, with Piquet Jr, would normaly only score points if the other drivers were on push bikes. Even then a 5th or 6th would be over acheiving. Only time will tell if I'm right, but the poor car excuse is only good for about 3 seasons. Schumacher turned the Benneton and the Ferrari from Dog to God. Alonso maintained Renault at the top with his development skills. Lewis has to turn the McLaren around. If it were just the engineers responsible for producing the fastest cars, every team would employ Heikki's and Nelsinho's for $10 a lap salaries to win the world title! If Lewis stays with McLaren, both he and McLaren are doomed!
One of the most arrogant, unpleasant drivers in recent history. He's no chance of coming back - he's too old, he's a troublemaker and he's not good enough - Villeneuve won the title in a car that had no real competition, and then did nothing impressive for the next 7 seasons, while still claiming to be the best driver around.
Why would USF1 - a team which has said from the start that it plans to act as a platform for talented up-and-coming AMERICAN drivers and engineers - employ an ageing, bratty Canadian? Not a chance of seeing him in F1 again, which is good cos I can't stand the guy.
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