Jacques Villeneuve : news & talks

Osoyoos is very hot. It has the only real desert in Canada. The Indian band there is very successful. They have a terrific estate winery there and upscale accommodations.

The whole region around Osoyoos/Oliver has great vineyards and wineries.

Similar to a Golf Resort in concept, but tailored to enthusiasts who love cars, the complex would give car lovers an opportunity to drive their vehicles in a safe and controlled environment, designed by Villeneuve.

  

It has been confirmed:

Jacques Villeneuve helps envision South Okanagan project
Okanagan Motorsports Club’s Area 27

OSOYOOS — A consortium that includes a developer, a native band and a Canadian motorsport legend is looking to uncork a new whine into the heartland of B.C.’s grape country.
The proposed South Okanagan Motorsports Club’s Area 27 is envisioned as a country club for driving enthusiasts, and on Sunday at this B.C. resort town the principals gathered to unveil their plans.
Among them was Jacques Villeneuve, Canada’s most accomplished professional race car driver, who is a vice-president of South Okanagan Motorsports Club (SOMC) and, more importantly, will design the 4.5- to 5.5-kilometre asphalt circuit. The ‘27’ in the name refers to the number both Jacques and his legendary father Gilles, campaigned under for much of their careers.

See more at:

http://www.flagworld.com/news/2013/09/04/jacques-villeneuve-helps-envision-south-okanagan-project/#sthash.DbtweHQc.dpuf

http://www.flagworld.com/news/2013/09/04/jacques-villeneuve-helps-envision-south-okanagan-project/

http://www.vancouversun.com/mobile/story.html?id=8860878

Even McLaren falling into 'pay driver' trap - Villeneuve
In fact, the former Williams and BAR driver thinks the sport has already lost its way.

Even McLaren falling into 'pay driver' trap - Villeneuve

Jacques Villeneuve has joined those who rail against the increasing power wielded by so-called 'pay drivers' in Formula One.
Drivers with sponsorship and lucrative connections have always been a part of the sport, but with F1's rising costs and the struggling economy, only in the past few years has it begun to truly lock out promising talent.
"If even McLaren is going down this path, it's bad," 1997 world champion Jacques Villeneuve, obviously referring to the billionaire Carlos Slim-backed Sergio Perez, told the German newspaper Bild.
This week, Mark Webber - also a 'purist' like Villeneuve - hailed those new talents who are managing to shine in F1 despite the new 'pay driver' era.
Webber mentioned Williams' Valtteri Bottas, but Villeneuve has a different view of the Finn.
"It's terrible when I hear how happy they are with their driver Bottas," he said.
"Sorry, but finishing between 11th and 16th places is not doing a great job. They're saying it only not to upset the sponsor that he's bringing.
"The teams are killing, more and more, the image of Formula One that it once had," Villeneuve insisted.
In fact, the former Williams and BAR driver thinks the sport has already lost its way.
"It was once full of heroes, on the border of the possible, always extreme, technology and engineering on the limit, but always a logic to it.
"Formula one has gone the other way -- a fortune is still spent, but without logic," he said.
"Five engines per season, only one tyre maker, all the restrictions and the driver devices, the 'green' direction -- maybe this is Le Mans, but it's not Formula One," Villeneuve said.
He said he would prefer if those who cannot really afford F1 simply disappear, leaving five or six healthy top teams, each fielding three or four cars.
"Yes, absolutely, great," said the 42-year-old.
"Why not three Force India cars and on each car a different sponsor?"
Told that F1 would then be going down the Indycar or Nascar route, Villeneuve answered: "Everything that comes from America doesn't have to be bad.
"It would be easier to find sponsors because it would be less expensive for them. And there would be no more team orders, because every sponsor would want their car to win.
"The cars would also be closer together, the gap between the front and the gap not so big, so the racing for the fans would be great," he added.

Ferrari 'insane' to sign Raikkonen - Villeneuve

Villeneuve thinks bringing the now 33-year-old Raikkonen back to Ferrari in Felipe Massa's wake is not smart.

Jacques Villeneuve has blasted Ferrari's decision to sign Kimi Raikkonen for 2014.
Prior to his slump in form and Ferrari's decision to push him into sabbatical at the end of 2009, the Finn won the Italian team's last world title in 2007.
But 1997 world champion Villeneuve thinks bringing the now 33-year-old Raikkonen back to Ferrari in Felipe Massa's wake is not smart.
"Ferrari are completely insane," the always outspoken French Canadian told the German newspaper Bild.
"He can drive a car fast, but he can't work with the engineers, he can't develop the car, he won't go to sponsor appointments," Villeneuve said.
Villeneuve is not the only one questioning Ferrari's choice, particularly with the fiery Latin temperament of the current 'number 1' Fernando Alonso on the other side of the garage.
"If Kimi starts outqualifying Fernando that would be a big one," McLaren's Jenson Button said this week, "because Fernando is not the quickest guy but as a package he's exceptional.
"It's fun for us watching from the outside, but does it make the team stronger? I personally don't think it does," the 2009 world champion added.
Former Ferrari driver Rene Arnoux agrees with those who think Alonso plus Raikkonen equals trouble.
"It will last 3 or 4 races," said the Frenchman, when pondering the 'peace' at Maranello at the very beginning of 2014.
"As far as character, I see Alonso's as the weaker," he told Italy's La Gazzetta dello Sport.
"Remember him with Hamilton at McLaren? The peace was short lived, and while I am the first to hope I am wrong, for winning the constructors' title you need two very strong drivers and characters.
"But, of these two, one is angry and one doesn't care. Every Sunday there is the possibility that it explodes.
"Yes, as a neutral spectator, I like Ferrari's choice," he smiled.
Arnoux, now 65, thinks it is possible Raikkonen will get the upper hand.
"He seems to be more mature these days. Sure, his character is still the same, but since he was at Lotus he seems more consistent.
"(Romain) Grosjean is still a mid-level driver and so it seems that Lotus has relied almost exclusively on Kimi," he added.
On the other hand, Arnoux questions whether Alonso can cope with being paired with a driver of Raikkonen's calibre.
"Definitely he has a bad temper, but this can also be a quality when it is used in battle," he said.
"But not when it is used within the team, creating difficulties and divisions.
"Frankly, I want to see if Alonso is really up to what people say about him. In Barcelona he did an amazing race, a masterpiece, but then for a few races he did nothing," added Arnoux.
Something else that might spark Alonso's fire is the extra workload that having Raikkonen alongside him might create.
The Finn is notorious for hating PR, media and sponsor work, and negotiating contracts that minimise his off-track commitments.
Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo said this week: "I hope his (Raikkonen's) public relations will consist of wins, as well as a contribution to the team and a diligent presence in Maranello.
"Alonso cannot take all the work on his shoulders alone," he insisted.

Thanks Anstor. Very interesting.....

As always JV makes sense.

You have to admire Raikkonen tho. The money always seems to fall into his lap. If he cared more, he'd probably get less.

Cassee

I read somewhere that Raikkonen choose for the security (moneywise) . Ferrari can insert this expectation. With Lotus's behind the scenes anything from sweetened, especially in financial terms Lotus goes through a difficult period.

Villeneuve urges Sauber to consider Barrichello

"Why would a team boss ignore the experience factor so easily? 2014 will be a complex year" - Jacques Villeneuve

Oct.9 (GMM) Jacques Villeneuve has urged Sauber to think again after the Swiss team ruled out signing Rubens Barrichello for 2014.
Team boss Monisha Kaltenborn in Korea quashed rumours Brazilian veteran Barrichello count mount his return to F1 next year with Sauber, with the help of an eight-figure sponsorship purse.
1997 world champion Villeneuve, however, said Sauber should not dismiss the former Ferrari and Williams driver so hastily.
"Rubens would be worth considering," he is quoted by Auto Motor und Sport.

"Why would a team boss ignore the experience factor so easily? 2014 will be a complex year," said the French Canadian.
"Barrichello would always be better than (Esteban) Gutierrez," Villeneuve insisted. "What has he given to Sauber until now? Nothing. Look at him compared to Hulkenberg."
Outspoken Villeneuve, now a F1 television pundit, also recently chided the talents of Caterham's Charles Pic.
On French television, it was put to Villeneuve - a staunch critic of 'pay-drivers' - that Frenchman Pic had denied he is in fact a pay-driver.
Villeneuve hit back: "Then he should explain why he and not Kovalainen is in that car."
Finn Heikki Kovalainen, in the running to return to the race seat in 2014, will in fact be driving Pic's car in Friday morning practice at Suzuka.

Yeah, outspoken, you got that right. Love to hear and read Jacques' comments, pretty much always blunt and candid as could be. It doesn't get any better.

Vettel 'destroyed Mark Webber' - Villeneuve

The 'Newey' and 'Webber' factors do not help how people perceive Vettel's achievements.

The skills of Sebastian Vettel's teammate have contributed to the reigning world champion's image problem.
McLaren boss Martin Whitmarsh would not entirely agree with that statement.
As the F1 paddock weighs up Vettel's place among the sport's greats on the eve of his fourth world title, Whitmarsh thinks the German's biggest problem has been Fernando Alonso.
"I think generally it is thought that Vettel gets the points the car deserves, while Fernando has gone a step further than that in the past couple of seasons," he told the Spanish sports newspaper AS.

"Alonso is the reason Vettel doesn't get the recognition he deserves," Whitmash added.
But 1997 world champion Jacques Villeneuve, once a fierce critic of Vettel's, fiercely disagrees.
"Whoever says that the car is better than Vettel needs to look at how he has destroyed Mark Webber, year after year," Villeneuve told Bild am Sonntag newspaper.
Even Red Bull's own Dr Helmut Marko would agree with that.
"We give both drivers the same car," he insisted. "But how often has Mark won against Vettel?" he asked rhetorically.
That, however, may be entirely the cause of Vettel's image problem. He now beats the retiring Australian veteran Webber consistently, but - at the wheel of an Adrian Newey-penned car - is that enough?
Eddie Irvine told the British broadcaster Sky recently: "If you don't have a good car, you can't win it (the championship) unless you're Michael Schumacher; unless you're Ayrton Senna.
"Lots of guys win in Adrian Newey's cars ... big deal. Adrian's the real genius. There's Schumacher, there's Senna, there's Newey," he added.
Nico Rosberg would agree that the 'Newey' and 'Webber' factors do not help how people perceive Vettel's achievements.
"For sure it would help his perception if he had - and nothing against Mark who is a fantastic driver and a great person - if he had a Fernando-calibre driver next to him," he told the Telegraph.
Another German, Nico Hulkenberg, agrees: "I think if he had a Kimi next to him, or Fernando at Ferrari, and still came out on top then it's fair to say he would be regarded even more highly."

I really like this article, thanks.

Specifically: ""Lots of guys win in Adrian Newey's cars ... big deal. Adrian's the real genius. There's Schumacher, there's Senna, there's Newey," he added."

I do agree fully with that statement, but for Atchum...

SpeedMetal wrote:I really like this article, thanks.

Specifically: ""Lots of guys win in Adrian Newey's cars ... big deal. Adrian's the real genius. There's Schumacher, there's Senna, there's Newey," he added."

I do agree fully with that statement, but for Atchum...

Atchum!?

need a Klien ex?  

Hey Cool Kursky!

Ready to take anything that implies JV and OP!

Thanks for the story Kursky

Good news especially the fact that there are other manufacturers involved in the story. This would still mean something for this championship.

According to an Austrian report, Villeneuve will race in the NASCAR Euro Series in 2014

Link (Austrian):
http://www.kleinezeitung.at/sport/motorsport/3491087/villeneuve-faehrt-2014-fuer-oesterreichisches-nascar-team.story

Google translate:

"The former Formula 1 World Champion Jacques Villeneuve drives from next season in the NASCAR Euro Series for an Austrian team. "

NASCAR Euro series? Didn't even know they had a European series there???

I think its this one.

http://www.nascarwheleneuroseries.com/

Simon, how can you say you didn't know there is a Nascar Euro Serie?
http://www.mypitstop.fr/lamerique-je-veux-lavoir-et-je-laurai/

I can only confirm the message send previously sent by ZingBot.
I hope that we can admire JV's work over here in europe. Finally

http://www.krone.at/Sport/Villeneuve_faehrt_kuenftig_fuer_oesterreichisches_Team-In_der_NASCAR-Serie-Story-385929

abf1 wrote:Simon, how can you say you didn't  know there is a Nascar Euro Serie?
http://www.mypitstop.fr/lamerique-je-veux-lavoir-et-je-laurai/

Man, that's over a year old, can I just say I forgot?  

Very good news! This might finally be a chance to see him race live  Is there already a schadule for 2014? I wonder when the Austrian race will take place.

2014 NASCAR WHELEN EURO SERIES CALENDAR
April 12-13 Valencia
June 7-8 Brands Hatch
July 6-7 Tours Speedway
July 19-20 Nurburgring
September TBA  
October 11-12 Le Mans

http://www.nascarwheleneuroseries.com/2013/12/13/2014-calendar-the-promises-of-a-great-success/

Lots of time for other racing. Hopefully he can find something else better than this.

Thanks ZingBot for the calender.

Thanks!
Well, this is still better than the three races he did this year... I just hope it will be streamed somehow. The september race should be in Austria according to the newspaper articles. The place where he will join the book presentation on tuesday seems to belong to his new team.