BMW drops Villeneuve
Discussion
BMW statement:
Jacques Villeneuve will not be racing with the BMW Sauber F1 Team for the remainder of the 2006 F1 season. Following discussions last week, Jacques Villeneuve and the BMW Sauber F1 Team agreed to terminate their current contract with immediate effect five races ahead of schedule.
BMW Motorsport Director Mario Theissen: .Jacques has performed well for us this year, scoring the Team.s first grand prix points in Malaysia, He has made a significant contribution to developing the newly formed BMW Sauber F1 Team and the performance of the car. However, after Jacques. accident in the Hockenheim race the team decided to review its options for next year, including assessing Robert Kubica in a race environment. Our decision to look towards evaluating our driver line up has naturally impacted Jacques. position for the remainder of this season. We fully understand that it is difficult for Jacques to maintain his natural level of commitment in circumstances of uncertainty. We respect his position and wish him well for the future.
Jacques Villeneuve will not be racing with the BMW Sauber F1 Team for the remainder of the 2006 F1 season. Following discussions last week, Jacques Villeneuve and the BMW Sauber F1 Team agreed to terminate their current contract with immediate effect five races ahead of schedule.
BMW Motorsport Director Mario Theissen: .Jacques has performed well for us this year, scoring the Team.s first grand prix points in Malaysia, He has made a significant contribution to developing the newly formed BMW Sauber F1 Team and the performance of the car. However, after Jacques. accident in the Hockenheim race the team decided to review its options for next year, including assessing Robert Kubica in a race environment. Our decision to look towards evaluating our driver line up has naturally impacted Jacques. position for the remainder of this season. We fully understand that it is difficult for Jacques to maintain his natural level of commitment in circumstances of uncertainty. We respect his position and wish him well for the future.
its a shame to see him lose his drive before the end of the season as he was going well this year (if you take his team mate NH as a benchmark he was going VERY well).
Sad that JV and Montoya have both left F1 this year, in terms of on track fighting and interesting quotes/view they are (were) head and shoulders above the boring corporate bores that drive the cars these days...
Sad that JV and Montoya have both left F1 this year, in terms of on track fighting and interesting quotes/view they are (were) head and shoulders above the boring corporate bores that drive the cars these days...
rallycross said:
its a shame to see him lose his drive before the end of the season as he was going well this year (if you take his team mate NH as a benchmark he was going VERY well).
How do you work that one out then?
Heidfeld 19 Points. Villeneuve 7 Points.
Even allowing for the 6 points NH got in Hungary, he was still well ahead of Villeneuve on points and is less expensive in terms of new body panels!
Edited by rick.e on Monday 7th August 20:49
rallycross said:
its a shame to see him lose his drive before the end of the season as he was going well this year (if you take his team mate NH as a benchmark he was going VERY well).
Sad that JV and Montoya have both left F1 this year, in terms of on track fighting and interesting quotes/view they are (were) head and shoulders above the boring corporate bores that drive the cars these days...
Sad that JV and Montoya have both left F1 this year, in terms of on track fighting and interesting quotes/view they are (were) head and shoulders above the boring corporate bores that drive the cars these days...
No its time for some young blood in the game
It is a shame he's left like this. I've always had a lot of time for JV as a proper, balls out, take no sh*t racer. He may be past his best, but at least he spoke his mind, unlike the sponsor friendly automatons we have for the most part now. Kubica is a cracking replacement though, seems to be a very commited racer.
rick.e said:
rallycross said:
its a shame to see him lose his drive before the end of the season as he was going well this year (if you take his team mate NH as a benchmark he was going VERY well).
How do you work that one out then?
Heidfeld 19 Points. Villeneuve 7 Points.
Even allowing for the 6 points NH got in Hungary, he was still well ahead of Villeneuve on points and is less expensive in terms of new body panels!
Edited by rick.e on Monday 7th August 20:49
Villeneuve was on top in most of the quly and also doing better in the race. I don't think he finished as many race as NH, mostly through things that were not of his making.
He is the sort of driver F1 needs and it's a shame he seems to be on his way out. I have a lot of time for him.
D_Mike said:
rick.e said:
rallycross said:
its a shame to see him lose his drive before the end of the season as he was going well this year (if you take his team mate NH as a benchmark he was going VERY well).
Edited by rick.e on Monday 7th August 20:49
Villeneuve was on top in most of the quly and also doing better in the race. I don't think he finished as many race as NH, mostly through things that were not of his making.
He is the sort of driver F1 needs and it's a shame he seems to be on his way out. I have a lot of time for him.
I don't disagree that we need characters in the sport, but for anyone to say Villeneuve was doing better, even ignoring retirements, is simply not true. If I could put my anorak on for a mo', this season there has been 7 races which BOTH drivers have finished, and Heidefeld beat Villeneuve in 5 of those 7. NH was ahead on finishes, points, position, whichever way you cut the cake.
I will miss the spectacle of the baggy suit wandering away from wreckage in the Armco every other race though!
Edited by rick.e on Tuesday 8th August 09:09
rick.e said:
I will miss the spectacle of the baggy suit wandering away from wreckage in the Armco every other race though!
How many times do I read postings from people whinging about how drivers such as Davidson never get their cahnce?...then I read postings from people who feel sorry that "characters" such as JV are just the sort of drivers needed in the sport?....To be brutally honest, I'd say that the majority of drivers on the grid really don't deserve to be there...
rubystone said:
rick.e said:
I will miss the spectacle of the baggy suit wandering away from wreckage in the Armco every other race though!
How many times do I read postings from people whinging about how drivers such as Davidson never get their cahnce?...then I read postings from people who feel sorry that "characters" such as JV are just the sort of drivers needed in the sport?....To be brutally honest, I'd say that the majority of drivers on the grid really don't deserve to be there...
I agree entirely, which was the point I made in the posting, which you selectively quoted! Nowhere did I say JV was the sort of driver we need in the sport, although others here have if you wish to make a valid quote. Villeneuve demonstrated back in his BAR days when the team new-boy JB trounced him at every opportunity, that he was past it back then. Quite why people continued to give him drives after that is beyond me.
Edited by rick.e on Tuesday 8th August 10:30
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