Jacques Villeneuve : news & talks

Simon wrote:Hmmmm.... We'll that's good news but I wonder what he wants to prove there, after what he's done before. Does he get a car that will give him a shot to the checkered flag?

Big news for us fans! May not necessarily be a top team or considered a contender but it will be good to see him on the big stage again if true!

From the french forum:

Selon nos informations, Villeneuve envisagerait de courir le même jour (le 25 mai 2014) aux 500 miles d’Indianapolis et à la course NASCAR du Coca-Cola 600, en Caroline-du-Nord.

http://plus.lapresse.ca/screens/409d-6a10-530b7b90-8e90-241fac1c606a%7C_0.html

This is a joke, right !??

SamYang wrote:From the french forum:

Selon nos informations, Villeneuve envisagerait de courir le même jour (le 25 mai 2014) aux 500 miles d’Indianapolis et à la course NASCAR du Coca-Cola 600, en Caroline-du-Nord.

http://plus.lapresse.ca/screens/409d-6a10-530b7b90-8e90-241fac1c606a%7C_0.html

This is a joke, right !??

This one? I guess so. Kind of sensationalism from the author? To sell more of his newspapers???

The only driver to do 505 miles...    Now 19 Years later he's back!!!



I remember that day like it was yesterday... I was working, had my VCR to record the race but to only find out... it recorded only 2 hours of the race... I was pissed!

Hoping for more and more international talks with that news!
  

UsaToday: Jacques Villeneuve takes another crack at Indianapolis 500

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/motor/indycar/2014/02/25/jacques-villeneuve-indianapolis-500-schmidt-peterson-motorsports/5816543/

This will mark Villeneuve's first time back at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in four years. He finished 29th in NASCAR's Brickyard in 2010.

SamYang wrote:From the french forum:

Selon nos informations, Villeneuve envisagerait de courir le même jour (le 25 mai 2014) aux 500 miles d’Indianapolis et à la course NASCAR du Coca-Cola 600, en Caroline-du-Nord.

http://plus.lapresse.ca/screens/409d-6a10-530b7b90-8e90-241fac1c606a%7C_0.html

This is a joke, right !??

Coca Cola 600 race participation may not be able to succeed when it is the same day as Indy500.

On the evening....

However, this appears like pushing it!

Yeah, I would be really surprised if the Coca-Cola 600 story is true. Although, JV has always been unpredictable. You never know what he's up to

SamYang wrote:Yeah, I would be really surprised if the Coca-Cola 600 story is true. Although, JV has always been unpredictable. You never know what he's up to

You're right!

   

Juan Montoya won’t be the only ex-Formula 1 star and former Indy 500 winner returning to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway this May.
RACER.com has learned that 1995 Indy victor Jacques Villeneuve has agreed to drive a third car for Schmidt Peterson Motorsports and he will be confirmed Wednesday in a press conference here in Indianapolis.
IndyCar: Jacques Villeneuve to return to Indy 500 with Schmidt Peterson Motorsports

The 42-year-old Canadian, who also captured the ’95 CART title before moving to F1 where he won the 1997 World Championship, will not be attendance at the Schmidt Peterson shop.
Villeneuve was testing a World Rallycross Peugeot in the United Kingdom over the weekend and flying back to North America on Monday and could not be reached for comment.
IMS has been scrambling to come up with 33 solid entries for the 98th Indianapolis 500 and it’s believed Villeneuve’s stature helped land a big sponsor.
The son of Gilles, the legendary F1 racer who finished runner-up in the 1979 World Championship but was killed three years later, Jacques has not raced an open wheel car since 2006, his final season in F1 but has spent the past few years dabbling in NASCAR trucks, Nationwide and Sprint Cup. His last race was in Cup at Sonoma, Calif. last summer.
In his 164 starts in F1, Jacques scored 11 wins, 13 pole positions and 23 podiums after scoring five victories in CART.

No Vettel title in 2014 ‘for sure’ – Villeneuve

Mar.10 (GMM/Inautonews.com) 1997 world champion Jacques Villeneuve says Sebastian Vettel’s run of titles is definitely over.
“He’s not going to win this year for sure,” the French Canadian, who is set to return to the Indy 500 this year at the age of 42, is quoted by Italian publications including Autosprint and La Repubblica.
“To me, Renault seems completely lost and unable even to finish a grand prix.
“Even if they (Red Bull) are making a new car for the European races it won’t change anything — maybe they’ll do 30 laps instead of 15. It’s not the car but the engine.
“I’m joking, but why bother going to Australia? They can’t do half a grand prix and are slower than most.
“Williams now has the Mercedes and it’s only because of that they’re doing so well.
“It’s good for (Felipe) Massa, because he was finished and for a few years didn’t even seem like an F1 driver. I think that shows just how good his car is.
“We’ll have to see if they also have the money to develop.”
Beyond that, however – and Mercedes’ obvious advantage – the former Williams and Honda driver is not entirely sure what will happen in 2014, as F1 undergoes its technological revolution.
“I don’t know if it will be a great championship. It could even be funny,” said Villeneuve, “because in Australia we could see a Marussia on the podium.”
He thinks Kimi Raikkonen’s move from Lotus to Ferrari for this year, even though he will be partnered by the excellent Fernando Alonso, was a good one.
“For the first time, I see him working seriously. Maybe his year without pay was good for him,” said Villeneuve.
“Alonso is a fighter from the first lap and so he might use too much fuel,” he explained. “It also depends on the attitude that he (Alonso) has.
“The Alonso of 2012 could win this year, but not the Alonso of 2013.”
Villeneuve also predicted a tough season for confused spectators, and thinks F1 has missed some obvious opportunities to spice up the action.
“The fuel limit is a good idea,” he is quoted by La Repubblica, “but it should be the drivers saving fuel and not the electronics.”
Villeneuve admits Mercedes is the obvious 2014 favourite, but said the Brackley squad’s weakness is the driver lineup.
“Hamilton and Rosberg are not friends,” he said, “but to me it seems entirely too flat, without a spark. It has to be tougher than that between teammates.”
And unlike Red Bull, Villeneuve says Ferrari cannot be written off yet.
“At the moment it’s not the best car, but it’s not so far back,” said Villeneuve. “They can recover. We’ll know much more after five races.”

 

I love it!!! Love it, love it, love it!
The one person who isn't afraid to say what's on his mind strikes again. He says it like it is...without any second thoughts. And you know that every other person with knowledge was probably thinking it, just no balls to say it

Quite the declarations for sure... Gonna help with our pool anyways.  

fish wrote:I love it!!! Love it, love it, love it!
The one person who isn't afraid to say what's on his mind strikes again. He says it like it is...without any second thoughts. And you know that every other person with knowledge was probably thinking it, just no balls to say it

  

Alonso trying to 'destroy' Raikkonen - Villeneuve - Motorsport.com

Fernando Alonso is working hard to "destroy" his new teammate Kimi Raikkonen.
That is the view of F1's outspoken 1997 title winner Jacques Villeneuve, who acknowledged that the predictions of outright war between the two world champions have not yet been proved right.

But the psychological war, according to Villeneuve, has most certainly begun.
"Fernando's plan is obvious -- he wants to beat Kimi at all costs," said the French Canadian.
"In the tests it was all calm, but in Melbourne Fernando showed his true potential."
Indeed, Finn Raikkonen struggled with the handling of his 2014 Ferrari throughout the Melbourne weekend, while Spaniard Alonso comfortably beat him in qualifying and the race.

"In the first three races Fernando is trying to destroy Kimi psychologically and get the team to rally around him," Villeneuve said.
But Villeneuve tips Raikkonen to fight back.
"Kimi is not an 'iceman'," he insisted. "He has created this image to isolate himself, but like any driver, he doesn't like bad results.
"But I don't think Kimi fans should worry -- he also had problems with the handling in 2007 but he still became world champion.
"I think the rule changes will even play into his hands," Villeneuve told Germany's Sport Bild.
"In qualifying, Alonso will be faster, but this year that's not so important."

Nice to see...   
Two different JV articles on NBC sports site today, the roll over story and a rehash of his interest in coming back to Indy cars full time mabe.

http://motorsportstalk.nbcsports.com/2014/06/12/jacques-villeneuve-uninjured-after-flipping-wrc-car-will-drive-teammates-car-this-weekend-at-norway/

http://motorsportstalk.nbcsports.com/2014/06/12/is-jacques-villeneuve-eyeing-full-time-comeback-in-indycar/

Even though there is no big news here he has regained a place in the spotlight with fresh racing topics not like the last few years.

  

I did not see it that way, but you are dead right Brad!   

"The most disappointing no-show, however, was South Okanagan Motorsports Club vice-president and track designer Jacques Villeneuve. Canada’s most accomplished professional race car driver was scheduled to MC the rally, but was called away to Europe following his 14th place finish in the previous weekend’s Indy 500 for World Rally Car testing. The ‘27’ in the Area 27 name refers to the number both Jacques and his legendary father Gilles campaigned under for much of their careers."


http://driving.ca/bentley/auto-news/news/supercar-smorgasbord


Area 27 article

http://www.mtv.fi/sport/f1/uutiset.shtml/2014/07/1917874/f1-selostaja-villeneuven-puheista-haluaa-vain-otsikoihin
Finland MTV F1 commentator Oskari Saari: Villeneuve's speeches: he just wants to headlines.

if you want to read it completely, then translate

Funny, There's another guy we know who's been saying the same thing for years now!

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/115208

Cheers,
C.B.

C.B. wrote:Funny, There's another guy we know who's been saying the same thing for years now!

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/115208

Cheers,
C.B.

Too true

http://www.autoracing1.com/rumors.asp?tid=12517
Jacques Villeneuve will definitely run next year's Indy 500. Might we see the former World Champ in more IndyCar events?