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 22 - 41 of 61
Actually. Villeneuve was told he could drive in NASCAR, if he came up with $18m a year. Maybe if he came up with $18m a year EVEN He could get a drive in F1..
Eagle Rob --
He was runner up as rookie and champ the 2nd season because there was no other challengers. Williams cars were a league of themselves. Good back to 1996, the champion was basically between Damon Hill and JV. Ferrari was a crappy car. Benetton was struggling with the lost of their talented driver in Schumi.
In 1997, it was still Williams' year with a superior car to the rest of grid. Yes, Ferrari had improved after Schumi's arrival, but it was still a crappy car compared to Williams. It is amazing that Schumi could challenge the Williams with that crappy car. Of course he made the most stupid decision to crash with JV in the final race.
What I am trying to say is JV is an overrated driver. Just consider from 1998 onwards, he failed in making any form of impression as a driver except to play politics with his team mate. I pitied Ricardo Zonta who had been manupulated to lose complete confidence after being his teammate in BAR. I got a lot of joy after see him his plan backfire with Button started kicking his butt in the similar car.
JV is nothing close to his legendary father. There is nothing wrong with that.
the hamster slapping will continue
This is not as dumb as you think! Any driver that in his very first season in F1 finishes 2nd and then becomes WORLD CHAMPION in only his second season is without doubt a LEGEND of F1. The greatest champion of all time! Surely! Just ask Lewis Hamilton and his fans......More realistically we should be telling Lewis and his fans to take note of JV's career so they know where they're headed.
William S: Indy might have SOME street tracks, but they are nothing as technically demanding as Silverstone or Monaco. NASCAR even has a few road courses, but that still doesn't make it good racing. Plenty of overtaking, though -- mostly because they don;t get the concertina effect from having to brake down and change direction then accelerate away. I saw a bit of Indycar recently and it looked almost exactly like a NASCAR race with nicer looking open wheeled cars: I.E. boring -- just a bunch of left hand turns.
what the idiot put the picture of mr harold lloyd on this topic my f1 buddies?
this site become the worse by the minute.
The person I'd love to see take a shot at the USF1 seat is Kyle Busch.
The likelyhood of Peter Windsor's team being competitive in the first year is fairly remote.
History tells us JV is a total brat unless he is in the best car.
I say they should find a young American driver who can talk the Engineer's Jive and work to the optimistic future, as opposed to retreading the cranky past.
12 years is a long time especialy in F1
If he was a good as he thinks the teams would have wanted him to continue racing he was not they did not move on if you made a come back in F1 now you would be shown up even more than you were before
As a Canadian, I would love it if he came back in a good car. I highly doubt it though.
Helen is a love....................
Trouble is theres lots of young, hungry talent out there, people in F1 have long memorys of how you treated the sport with Craig Pollock, no interviews, no corporate, just an arrogant unworthy plastic world Champion, 12 years ago!
yes Baron I do
Always a Fan of the Villeneuve name.............................Let`s not forget F1 IS A commercial CIRCUS..................and stranger things have happened; with whips and chains on!........................But, alas An intelligent Champion knows when to retire gracefully with the knowledge that those who did respect his achievements, will in years to come still respect them, rather than thinking what a selfish t...er. ALL credibility will be lost, as you WILL lose........ and frankly I suspect( YOU) inwardly know it.......There is NO going back you`ve burned your bridges.
Fantasy F1........Alonso move to Ferrari NOW in doubt as Villeneuve says...........This is what they really want
DC yesterday and JV today. JYS tomorrow. Probably Keke and Nelson Sr. would come out next week and say they can give their sons a run for the money.
DC and JV, go to the Race of the Champions once a year. Have fun.
I know you missed the sport, but nobody misses you.
Maybe Jacques seemed like a brat because he was a competitor. He saw BAR lacked the skill,know how of Williams. There were times when I would have slapped him upside the head,but that would go for any driver,including the great Michael Schumacher.
You've got the stuff if you win the '95 CART championship when there were drivers there....not to mention a second a INDY first crack in '94 and a win in '95. Coming within a hair of the F1 drivers title in '96 along side Hill... Come on,that first GP in Australia,Pole,Fastest lap,and leading,then had to back off due to an oil pressure light....which turned out wasn't working properly.Hill would not have taken him... That first GP,he drove like Gilles.... Then '97 Champion. He is worth a shot. It was a long time ago,but I'd give him a chance.
he is a specky twiat with a baggy race suit. and he can't drive for toffee.
never mind drawing a beard on him! put this (peter glaze crackerjack ) in yer image search
ole jackie boy don't have the time to be driving in F1 because he is too busy answering the phone calls from nascar owners.
#12 indy does have street tracks. and as to round in a circle it's a bit more than that as i know from driving at the banked test track a millbrook at very high speed. try it . you will find it like nothing else ever . at the top of the banking close to the armco at speed.
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