Jacques Villeneuve turns his back on F1 (again)

Alpherah · 6 Jul 2011 at 13:45

Former world champion Jacques Villeneuve is done with Formula One, not just as a driver but now seemingly as a spectator as well.

The 40-year-old Canadian who last drove for BMW-Sauber in 2006 but has been linked to several possible comeback drives since then, told Reuters Monday that he now had eyes only for NASCAR.

This weekend, when British fans will flock to Silverstone for their home grand prix and the hope of seeing McLaren's Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button challenging for victory, Villeneuve will focus on something else.

"I don't watch the races any more. I'm done, for the first time ever," he said at the Williams factory, where his former employers trumpeted a new engine deal with Renault - the company that powered the Canadian to his 1997 title triumph.

"I just can't be bothered. Halfway through the race I'm yawning and it's really tough...and I just get upset," he added.

"When I see these guys not even being able to defend, like Michael (Schumacher) - he should have been on the podium in Montreal."

Former Indy 500 winner Villeneuve has been competing most recently in the NASCAR nationwide series with Penske Racing and he enthused about the experience.

"It's so much fun. It reminds me of why I got into racing in the first place," he said. "You get in the car and you are there to do your race and nothing will get in the way of that, not regulations, nothing.

"It's amazing. It's human against human, beast against beast. It's great. You can muscle your way through, you can work around problems, I love it."

DIRTY DRIVING

The big problem with Formula One, the bespectacled Canadian said, was overtaking. Not the lack of it but too much thanks to the DRS (drag reduction system or adjustable rear wing) which has introduced a new element this season.

Villeneuve, whose late father Gilles won the enduring affection of Ferrari fans both for his racing passion and his ability to beat faster cars by keeping them at bay for lap after lap, said DRS should never have been allowed.

"I really don't care to see overtaking with DRS," he said.

"I prefer to see Lewis going for it and sometimes it ends in tears but at least it's fun. All the other overtaking with the DRS, I'm just falling asleep...useless, boring, it's not even racing.

"I don't understand why that thing is on an F1 car right now," said the Canadian. "People now think 'Oh, he's going to overtake me. Why bother?' And that's it. No excitement. Nothing."

Villeneuve was defensive of Hamilton, who has repeatedly fallen foul of stewards this season after controversial collisions.

The Canadian, who had several run-ins with Schumacher when the seven-times champion was at Ferrari, including the notorious 1997 season-ender that led to the German being excluded from the standings, said officials should focus on real offenders.

"F1 is giving penalties for people making mistakes instead of for people driving dirty," he said, his comments perhaps reflecting a lack of recent viewing. "And that is wrong. Mistakes happen. You run into each other, that's life, that's racing and too bad.

"Then you see a lot of weaving and nasty stuff happening and there's no penalties for that. That's where it's wrong.

"Lewis is racing very aggressively and he forgets to use his head once in a while so he ends up crashing into people. But that should not be stopped, it's racing. That's what you want to see: battles.

"If every time someone tries to do that there's a penalty, what's the point? You need to let the drivers go for it and if they bang wheels, too bad. It's fun, it's a good show, the fans are up in the grandstands and they can scream and shout about it...that's good, that's what you want."

Villeneuve had little time for a suggestion by Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone that world champion Sebastian Vettel's wins for Red Bull this season meant more than Schumacher's because of the quality of the opposition lined up against him.

There are five world champions on the current grid, including Schumacher in his comeback with Mercedes at the grand old age of 42.

"Vettel is fighting no-one right now. If you look at it, anytime Vettel has to fight someone he collapses. Look at Montreal," said Villeneuve.

The 24-year-old German lost that epic race in Canada to Button after making a mistake on the final lap as the McLaren driver was bearing down on him.

"(Red Bull team mate) Mark (Webber) has collapsed and the whole team has taken a step forward so he's in a world of his own. He's super-fast, he's faster and stronger than he was last year and when you are on a cloud like that it's very hard for things to go wrong," said the former champion.

"Unless something really bad happens, I don't see how he could lose a championship this year. Maybe he could lose his marbles, I don't know."

Source: Reuters

Cant argue with much of that..
DRS i agree with, kinda. It adds excitement but its just band-aided excitement for a problem which shouldn't of been allowed to occur in the first place.

utajoker · 6 Jul 2011 at 17:02

read this earlier on eurosport and i actually agree with what he says.

Skeeter · 6 Jul 2011 at 17:06

Jaques who?

Oh yeah, another one of those guys whose opinion is only noticed if its an extreme one. I'll file this with the Lauda "Hamilton should be banned for daring to try to overtake" comments.

Glaucus · 6 Jul 2011 at 17:12

Totally agree with him, I think other series offer every thing f1 should.

F1 stupid rules
F1 no longer pinnacle of engineering
F1 world class tracks give over, more like boring Tilke drones.

However I won't stop watching it, I've watched it all my life and will hope that eventually it will come good again, they still have world class drivers and I know the teams, drivers and rules. That takes years to obtain if I switched to other sports.
However over the last couple of years I have been watching far more other race series on and off.

Skeeter · 6 Jul 2011 at 17:19

There is a difference between constructively criticising F1, and just moaning and saying "I'm just not going to bother watching it any more" like some child.

I assume this means there will never be any opinions of Jaques ever published every again as he wont be watching or following F1 any more? (*Waits for "Jacques Villenuves opinion of X, Y and Z" later in the season*)

Glaucus · 6 Jul 2011 at 17:24

I don't know, that's a pretty long and well constructed piece.

Skeeter · 6 Jul 2011 at 17:26

I agree, except for the initial "I'm not going to watch F1 any more because I end up yawning half way through" pointless statement at the beginning.

He has some very valid points, its just a shame they are being put across wrapped in a childish whinge.

Alpherah · 6 Jul 2011 at 20:17

Skeeter said:
I agree, except for the initial "I'm not going to watch F1 any more because I end up yawning half way through" pointless statement at the beginning.

He has some very valid points, its just a shame they are being put across wrapped in a childish whinge.

Looks bad on paper, but the tone or context is often removed by the reporter to make it more 'eye catching'

stoke1863 · 6 Jul 2011 at 20:20

It's so much fun. It reminds me of why I got into racing in the first place," he said. "You get in the car and you are there to do your race and nothing will get in the way"

what like corners?

Shimmy · 6 Jul 2011 at 20:22

Just seen the video interview for this on TheFlyingLap.

Have to say I agree with JV on all points tbh.

But as AH2 said I'll still watch having been an avid follower all my life, I've also been paying more attention to other series.

Duke · 7 Jul 2011 at 08:44

Skeeter said:
Jaques who?

Oh yeah, another one of those guys whose opinion is only noticed if its an extreme one. I'll file this with the Lauda "Hamilton should be banned for daring to try to overtake" comments.

I only agree with the rules and interruptions bit, apart from that it is his usual **** self. If he found F1 so boring, why did he want to come back the the last couple of years?

Dr Who · 7 Jul 2011 at 10:03

Yeah saw this on video a few days ago, I do agree with a lot of what he says, F1 is a shadow of what it was say during the Turbo Era, it is now a Nanny State Politically Correct version. Having said that, at least they arent handicapping yet, give it a year or so though, I am sure they will.

This however is an opinion and Lewis says we should keep opinions to ourselves

NathanE · 7 Jul 2011 at 10:31

DRS was the biggest mistake F1 ever made IMO. The problem is that now it is here, it will be very difficult to wean off it. The FOM will kick up a huge fuss.

The season would have been awesome without DRS. The tyres are producing all the action, not DRS.

And yes, something needs to be done about weaving in braking zones. Hamilton got slapped for weaving in a comical fashion on straights over the past 2 seasons. But when Rosberg does it in a braking zone whilst "defending" from Lewis (in China) the FIA doesn't even raise an eyebrow. Likewise when Schumacher does it in Canada forcing another car onto the grass, nothing gets done either.

Why is comical weaving on straights dealt with harshly, but serious and potentially dangerous weaving in braking zones being ignored?

Duke · 7 Jul 2011 at 11:21

NathanE said:
The tyres are producing all the action, not DRS.

Or lack of in some cases, where drivers are having to go slow to keep to a certain amount of scheduled stops.

Dr Who · 7 Jul 2011 at 11:36

So many things used to have an impact on racing, tyres blistering, missed gearchanges, driver fatigue (still there but less so) etc etc.

"Easier" to drive cars, power steering, electronic shifts, better tyres, generally more reliable cars have made the racing less interesting than of old, I am sure it has become a dilemna for the organisers as to how to get the racing close again, DRS was just one of those efforts, wrong or not, it has certainly sparked some interesting racing and debate.

JRS · 7 Jul 2011 at 12:01

stoke1863 said:
what like corners?

The Nationwide series was at Road America (a 14-turn road course) a couple of weeks ago and will be at Watkins Glen (a former F1 track) and Montreal (a current F1 track) next month. Want to try that one again?

As for JV's views - in many ways, what he says is right on the money. But he's taken a pop at F1 a few too many times since retiring, so no-one will be listening.

GeezerButler · 7 Jul 2011 at 22:57

Let's bring back the cars from the late 60's before aero, but build them out of carbon fiber with modern safety features and put them on some proper circuits.

Ceryndrion · 8 Jul 2011 at 12:32

JRS said:
The Nationwide series was at Road America (a 14-turn road course) a couple of weeks ago and will be at Watkins Glen (a former F1 track) and Montreal (a current F1 track) next month. Want to try that one again?

And look how well he did there.. what was it that Max Papis said after that rather fun little fender bender "oh gee thanks Jaques!"

He's better suited to nascar, at least there, if he breaks things, its all part of the fun, a return to F1 would mean he'd have to play by the rules.. and he never really did like that..

Glaucus · 8 Jul 2011 at 12:39

People should watch NASCAR on an oval track before instantly dismissing it. F1fanatic had a good article the over week, saying f1 should introduce an oval track.

JRS · 8 Jul 2011 at 12:53

AcidHell2 said:
F1fanatic had a good article the over week, saying f1 should introduce an oval track.

The poor darlings wouldn't know what to do with an oval track