Soldato
Jacques Villeneuve turns his back on F1 (again)
- Thread starter Alpherah
- Start date
Man of Honour
- Joined
- 21 Nov 2004
- Posts
- 46,243
Totally agree with him.
Caporegime
Cant say i disagree with my fellow Canadian..F1 is a borefest...i havent really bothered watching any of the races this season...seems like its Vettel thats the most dominant again.
Just boring absolute borefest F1 has become and Villeneuve has nailed it spot on really.
Just boring absolute borefest F1 has become and Villeneuve has nailed it spot on really.
I can't see it working because F1 cars have too much grip you'll just get a 22 car train and anybody who tries to make an overtake will probably lose places ultimately, NASCAR is more exciting because the cars are much more difficult to drive.
I was pretty sceptical of DRS at the start of the season, but its actually been quite interesting. I do see the argument that it's not fair which is what I thought too, but so far it's not actually proved to be a definite overtake, it's not really worked on some circuits.
The other issue is that this has been a really good season so far, largely thanks to the new tyres more than anything, but at the same time Vettel is running away with it which is obviously quite boring.
Finally Villneuves comments come after Valencia which was a boring race. I think that circuit needs to go, the pandering to certain circuits which aren't much cop needs to change. Bahrain is a prime example, but obviously that was averted due to other means this year.
The other issue is that this has been a really good season so far, largely thanks to the new tyres more than anything, but at the same time Vettel is running away with it which is obviously quite boring.
Finally Villneuves comments come after Valencia which was a boring race. I think that circuit needs to go, the pandering to certain circuits which aren't much cop needs to change. Bahrain is a prime example, but obviously that was averted due to other means this year.
Associate
If JV was exciting or even particularly good, I think I might have paid more attention to him. But I won't 
So far this and last season have hardly been boring - there's been a couple of dire races (Valencia f.ex) but that has one reason that makes so many tracks a bore fest.
Tilke.
Shoot him, scrap all his "tracks" and let's get some real circuits.
Ditch the nanny-state red flags. There was one at Valencia that made me cringe because it was barely a yellow flag problem - car stopped mid-circuit, any other track's marshalls would have had it cleared before you could shift gears. Those marshalls needed severe training. And the same applies to wet races and any fanny-ann drivers who think it's too wet to drive. If it's too wet for *you* to drive, stop driving and let others that can show you how.
Yes, Mr Massa, I'm talking to you
So far this and last season have hardly been boring - there's been a couple of dire races (Valencia f.ex) but that has one reason that makes so many tracks a bore fest.
Tilke.
Shoot him, scrap all his "tracks" and let's get some real circuits.
Ditch the nanny-state red flags. There was one at Valencia that made me cringe because it was barely a yellow flag problem - car stopped mid-circuit, any other track's marshalls would have had it cleared before you could shift gears. Those marshalls needed severe training. And the same applies to wet races and any fanny-ann drivers who think it's too wet to drive. If it's too wet for *you* to drive, stop driving and let others that can show you how.
Yes, Mr Massa, I'm talking to you
If JV was exciting or even particularly good, I think I might have paid more attention to him. But I won't
He had some moments of brilliance. Spain '99 comes to mind (Schumacher unable to do anything about JV's BAR for 30+ laps).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8XAZK14xaw
Canada 2000 wasn't bad either:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUDQhX2QcZ0
Perhaps if he hadn't gone the Pollock\$$$ route we may have seen better from him post-Williams.
Soldato
Villeneuve kinda looks like the badguy in Lost
Thanks for that interview link shimmy, pretty clear he's a different person now he's shed the ties with pollock and also some pretty clear hints they are no longer on very good terms.
It ruined his career. People always assume it was about money, watch that video and it's clear he can now see he surrounded himself with the wrong people when it mattered.
Barbara Pollock looked after Villenueves finances to the point if he wanted something he had to ask her. He was far too trusting in the relationship and he found out some home truths when it was far too late. His own family and many people in F1 didn't like the hold Pollock had over Jacques. Sadly he saw it far too late.
Hamilton needs to look no further that JV's career **** ups and arrogance to see the path he's heading himself. Not that he will make a career choice as woeful as BAR but he is surrounding himself with the wrong people, sadly.
As for the thread topic I can see what JV means but I doubt he will stop watching. They won't listen to him now, they didn't listen to him when he said what a stupid idea narrow cars with groove tyres would be for racing in F1. Instead they tried to screw him over and hit him with a reprimand. If they wouldn't listen in 97 when he was a big player they won't care now.
It ruined his career. People always assume it was about money, watch that video and it's clear he can now see he surrounded himself with the wrong people when it mattered.
Barbara Pollock looked after Villenueves finances to the point if he wanted something he had to ask her. He was far too trusting in the relationship and he found out some home truths when it was far too late. His own family and many people in F1 didn't like the hold Pollock had over Jacques. Sadly he saw it far too late.
Hamilton needs to look no further that JV's career **** ups and arrogance to see the path he's heading himself. Not that he will make a career choice as woeful as BAR but he is surrounding himself with the wrong people, sadly.
As for the thread topic I can see what JV means but I doubt he will stop watching. They won't listen to him now, they didn't listen to him when he said what a stupid idea narrow cars with groove tyres would be for racing in F1. Instead they tried to screw him over and hit him with a reprimand. If they wouldn't listen in 97 when he was a big player they won't care now.
Not so much his salary, but BAT threw hordes of money at the team in general but Pollock and Reynard couldn't even get both cars home in the points until 17 races after their debut. Even that could be considered a result of the high attrition rate at Melbourne in 2000. They were beaten by Minardi in 1999 and thus finished last in the constructors championship.
Well he's pretty much failing at NASCAR in terms of strong results, although he did have a 2nd place at Le Mans (once again, wet weather proved to be his undoing as he lost the lead to an Audi).
The contrarians would say JV lucked into three of his wins in the season (Silverstone, Hungary, Nurburgring, possibly A1-Ring as well given Trulli's engine failure) and that he would otherwise have finished 2nd or 3rd in the championship.
Silverstone he would have beaten Hakkinen anyway, Hakkinens tyres where blistering and JV was biding his time.
Hungary he was best of the rest but sadly Damon suffered a cruel fate. Passing Damon on the grass was worth the race victory for me
Mclarens dual failures at the ring where shocking but that's part and parcel of F1 when you are pushing developement hard as mclaren were then. When other cars fail more than just JV benefitted with points.
A1 ring I don't think trullis failure made much difference. I would have to rewatch the race.
Yeah he had good luck where you mentioned but some awful team calls as well for tyres and some unreliability. It's easy to find the things that went in his favour, but as I've said before find me a driver in recent years that hasn't made hard work of their first drivers title.
MS, DH, JV, Mika, Alonso, Kimi, LH, JB and Vettel all made hard work of their first title.
You could go through all of those drivers first championship and find points they got lucky and if A and B hadn't happened they wouldn't have won.
All that matters really is when the chips are down and the pressure is really on they don't crack at the final hurdle.
My own view is that JV was fast, but inconsistent. Brazil, Argentina and Spain were flawless victories, but he messed up of his own accord in Belgium (only recovering to 5th when the track dried and after Hakkinen's disqualification). To my knowledge the tyre calls were his. Monaco was a bad team decision yes, but I have no reason to believe Jacques would have kept up with MSc. Bottled it in his home race in the opening few laps too - that can't have been nice.
In a way he was fortunate that Schumacher reacted to his banzai move at Jerez by turning into the sidepod, because the Williams would be the car in the gravel otherwise. While I'm on that, holding up the field in Japan was pointless, he knew he'd be disqualified anyway for the yellow flag infringements. Or perhaps it was an FIA conspiracy to give us a fight at the final race, depending on who you believe.
Spa was a williams call based on what the williams weather man said would happen, so they started on slicks. He could have forced the issue I suppose but you have to believe in your team weather man. When the track dried he flew.
The reason he held the field in Japan was by then the Mclaren was by far the fastest car in the field, Williams expected Mclaren to fly past if he held them and even if he had been excluded MS wouldn't have won.
Mclaren for some reason backed out of it, saying they didn't want to get mixed up in the fight and didn't realise what Williams wanted to do. Hence the sickening collusion between the two teams at Jerez.
My 2 cents is the penalty for Japan was a blatant attempt to stop him winning especially when you consider Hakkinen used to get away with the same by lifting his hand to acknowledge the flag while continuing to go flat out. Completely stupid that you can take a hand off to prove you are in control.
Frentzen appeared to have the same problem but he managed to finish 3rd in the final standings...
I'd prefer no race fixing myself, at least not of that nature. Doesn't seem like McLaren knew the score at Suzuka though.
The Williams pre-planning in the Jerez result was obvious. As for swapping the McLarens, I guess because Hakkinen's car broke so often while he was in the lead, RD decided to let him have the win instead of Coulthard (plus the whole Adelaide '95 thing).
Apparently it wasn't the first time in the season JV did it. Not sure myself as I didn't see the sessions the alleged infringements happened in.
Yeah because they started the race on JV's car the same as frentzen with full wets, a mistake because inters was the way. They then pitted JV early when he over shot the bus stop and stuck inters on when 2 laps later he would need slicks. That put him back in 16th and how Frentzen ended up ahead. Frentzen was 4th at the finish a full 10 seconds ahead of JV who had a pitstop extra and the stop for Inters where the team where not ready for him.
Yep that wasn't the first race JV didn't slow down for a yellow that season, neither is the time mentioned with Hakkinen. Putting his hand up saved him from a penalty. Funnily enough the Spa race we are discussing they let him off over taking on the parade lap, rather curious as other drivers prior to that had been given penalties.
Yep that wasn't the first race JV didn't slow down for a yellow that season, neither is the time mentioned with Hakkinen. Putting his hand up saved him from a penalty. Funnily enough the Spa race we are discussing they let him off over taking on the parade lap, rather curious as other drivers prior to that had been given penalties.