Thursday 23rd July 2009

Villeneuve And YouTube To Join USF1?

Jacques back in F1 next year with YouTube sponsored race team

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Jacques Villeneuve is being tipped as one of the drivers for the new USF1 team when it joins the F1 grid in 2010, in a Cosworth-powered car that could be sponsored by YouTube.

Jacques coming back to F1, it's claimed

The 38 year old racer last won a grand prix in 1997, although he raced in the top formula until 2006 in relatively uncompetitive machines. He was quoted yesterday in Germany’s Sport Bild magazine as saying ‘it’s true, I will return to Formula 1’, but he didn’t officially confirm the USF1 link.

The new USF1 racing cars will apparently be ready for action in October, and the Charlotte-based team is currently looking to establish a European centre of operations at either the Aragon circuit in Spain, or Paul Ricard in France.

According to a separate article in Autosport yesterday, the USF1 team is close to announcing it has secured backing from YouTube co-founder and CEO Chad Hurley. If a YouTube sponsorship deal does go ahead, it will be interesting to see what happens to the internet broadcast rights for F1.

[Cupramax]

Sulky arrogant tw@t, cant stand the guy...

[MogulBoy]

There must be some truth that he's difficult but I love him as h always over-drives / puts on a show. I saw him at Silverstone testing one time and you could tell he was on it as his brake discs would be glowing red hot much more than any other car/driver. Glad he's coming back. Would be a bit embarrasing if he ends up being a tail end charlie though...

[aarondrs]

Cupramax said:

Sulky arrogant tw@t, cant stand the guy...

Never met him myself but always liked his driving. I say good luck to him, it must be difficult with a name like Villeneuve to make it twice in a sport like F1!

Edited by aarondrs on Thursday 23 July 10:14

[Piers917]

Atleast he says what he thinks, a rarity in modern F1. Can't see him doing much though.

[tinman0]

Hate JV with a passion. Arrogant toss pot - "Pay my $20m please - oo can I drive next year?" "no, get lost".

Saw him on a documentary about NASCAR the other week. He failed at that too. Thankfully it only took a couple of races rather than 10 long years. They got away lucky.

[JayKaybi]

Anything can happen. Button won the first 6 GPs this year from out of nowhere. No reason why equal freakery couldn't put Villeneuve in a strong position next year, with all thes stupid radical rule changes.

[Cupramax]

aarondrs said:

Never met him myself but always liked his driving.[/footnote]

Me neither but his persona has never struck me as genuine as with other racers...

[clonmult]

YouTube sponsorship????

So they'd accept sponsorship from a company that is loosing hundreds of millions a year, and is only being kept afloat by their parent company.

Lovely.

The parent company Google would be a better bet.

[rallycross]

would be great if its true he adds a bit of character to procedings!

[Altrezia]

I think I am the only person in the world who actually likes JV.

Good to see him back.

[Bugeyeandy]

tinman0 said:

Hate JV with a passion. Arrogant toss pot - "Pay my $20m please - oo can I drive next year?" "no, get lost".

Saw him on a documentary about NASCAR the other week. He failed at that too. Thankfully it only took a couple of races rather than 10 long years. They got away lucky.

No matter what you think of him you can hardly say he failed in F1, he did win the championship after all.

[GrahamG]

I have met him on several occasions and it's fair to say that as his F1 career was fading into the background he became much easier to talk to.

One thing you have to say about the guy is that he is a real racer - He's racing this weekend btw - in the Spa 24 Hours - In a Mosler!

[tinman0]

Bugeyeandy said:

tinman0 said:

Hate JV with a passion. Arrogant toss pot - "Pay my $20m please - oo can I drive next year?" "no, get lost".

Saw him on a documentary about NASCAR the other week. He failed at that too. Thankfully it only took a couple of races rather than 10 long years. They got away lucky.

No matter what you think of him you can hardly say he failed in F1, he did win the championship after all.

After being given the fastest car. Career went into terminal decline after that.

[Adrian Gumball]

He should know when to give it up! There are plenty of other drivers who need a chance, he had his, he won the championship then blew the following 9 years.

Definately a "past-it".

[Kraken]

JayKaybi said:

Anything can happen. Button won the first 6 GPs this year from out of nowhere. No reason why equal freakery couldn't put Villeneuve in a strong position next year, with all thes stupid radical rule changes.

Only real difference next year is the dropping of refuelling so it will probably be the same cars at the top.

[Atrophy]

They are very desperate if he is coming back. He had talent, but lost that years ago

[Bug106]

I thought it was strange to see him walking around on the grid on the Monaco GP. Must've been begging for a drive.

[Adamantium]

From what i can gather eh was never that great of a driver, but maybe he will bring some development potential, but look at BAR he never did much for there development!

[Insight]

He may be a bit arrogant but that's only cos he was brought up that way and everyone sucked up to his dad telling him how great he was. Then they told Jaques the same and well, he's never grown up. Blame the selfish parents on focusing on driving too much and bringing him up this way.

[Mr_Yogi]

Surely with in season testing being banned, it makes a lot of sense to get an 'old hand' on board. Especially with a new team/ car.

Always liked him simply for the fact he speaks his mind, much like Eddie Irvine used to. Good luck to him