Villeneuve to Lotus?
Discussion
http://www.planet-f1.com/story/0,18954,3213_573892...
Jacques Villeneuve looks set to join the new Lotus team next season with the outfit expected to announce their line-up next week.
The 38-year-old former World Champion is currently employing a rigorous fitness program as he looks to get back into shape for a possible return to Formula One.
Villeneuve has enlisted the services of his former trainer Dr Erwin Gollner, who also trains Nico Rosberg, for what the Canadian describes as a "really, really brutal" fitness regime.
It appears the Canadian's efforts will be rewarded with a race seat, with the driver insisting that while the discussions are "still preliminary" that he wouldn't "come to suffer, in a retreat, leaving my two sons far away, if I didn't believe things are moving along well."
An announcement from Lotus with regards to their driver line-up will be made in the near future, with chief executive officer Riad Asmat telling The Star, "We will name two drivers and a reserve. Negotiations are still going on."
Meanwhile, Villeneuve's push for a return to Formula One has been backed by the promoters of the Canadian Grand Prix.
"I can't deny that if Jacques is back in a Formula One car it will help the Grand Prix,"Francois Dumontier of promoters Octane Racing Group is reported to have told the National Post.
"People here love him. We saw how popular he is when he raced NASCAR here. I would be fan no.1 if Jacques is back in a Lotus car and if we can help him, that's what we'll do," he addled.
Jacques Villeneuve looks set to join the new Lotus team next season with the outfit expected to announce their line-up next week.
The 38-year-old former World Champion is currently employing a rigorous fitness program as he looks to get back into shape for a possible return to Formula One.
Villeneuve has enlisted the services of his former trainer Dr Erwin Gollner, who also trains Nico Rosberg, for what the Canadian describes as a "really, really brutal" fitness regime.
It appears the Canadian's efforts will be rewarded with a race seat, with the driver insisting that while the discussions are "still preliminary" that he wouldn't "come to suffer, in a retreat, leaving my two sons far away, if I didn't believe things are moving along well."
An announcement from Lotus with regards to their driver line-up will be made in the near future, with chief executive officer Riad Asmat telling The Star, "We will name two drivers and a reserve. Negotiations are still going on."
Meanwhile, Villeneuve's push for a return to Formula One has been backed by the promoters of the Canadian Grand Prix.
"I can't deny that if Jacques is back in a Formula One car it will help the Grand Prix,"Francois Dumontier of promoters Octane Racing Group is reported to have told the National Post.
"People here love him. We saw how popular he is when he raced NASCAR here. I would be fan no.1 if Jacques is back in a Lotus car and if we can help him, that's what we'll do," he addled.
JV would bring an element racing ability and knowledge to a team that will probably have to secure the services of a paying driver in the second seat, he will be able to advise them which way to go on set up for each race and assist in the long term development of the car, agreed that his ability may be a little rusty, but he should definitely give good feedback to the engineers on the handling characteristics of the car, more so than two youngsters with minimal F1 exposure would be able to, just look at last year with Renault and Red Bull.
i cant see him anywhere near the middle of the grid next season as the car has had a very rushed development, and i am not confident that Mike Gascoyne can direct the team where it needs to get.
the reference to Toyota making a hash of their time in F1 needs to be countered with the constant changes in lineup they experienced and a lack of continuity. If memory serves even Mr Gascoyne was technical head for a period, commuting by helicopter each day!!
i cant see him anywhere near the middle of the grid next season as the car has had a very rushed development, and i am not confident that Mike Gascoyne can direct the team where it needs to get.
the reference to Toyota making a hash of their time in F1 needs to be countered with the constant changes in lineup they experienced and a lack of continuity. If memory serves even Mr Gascoyne was technical head for a period, commuting by helicopter each day!!
mustard tab said:
i cant see him anywhere near the middle of the grid next season as the car has had a very rushed development, and i am not confident that Mike Gascoyne can direct the team where it needs to get.
Also the fact the JV proved increasingly a disruptive influence as his career went on, openly and scathingly critical of the team he was racing for when things didn't go the way he demanded and prone to tantrums and outbursts when soundly beaten by team mates.A now rusty driver who proved more a liability than an asset for the last half of his F1 career… Lotus must be desperate for ANY experience they can get. Literally, they must be.
Rollcage said:
The last completely new F1 team was Toyota, and look how well that turned out,despite huge funding.
Next year will see several new teams with small budgets.
I predict a lot of feet shuffleing going on in 2010!
I think that's a good thing. Sure the frontrunners will be the established players, but I reckon there'l be a real battle in the latter half of the grid. Teams still finding their feet, etc.Next year will see several new teams with small budgets.
I predict a lot of feet shuffleing going on in 2010!
IMHO "the glory days of 40-50 years ago" were more glorious by the fact that a lot of the drivers weren't up to scratch, as it was still cheap enough to be a rich boy's passtime. Not to take anything from the greats, who were exactly that, but a field full of privateers capitalising on eachother's mistakes would be very exciting to watch.
Let's face it, the technology and training is so advanced that 50% of the time the only way to really overtake someone is when they make a balls up. More mistakes from lower teams=more people capitalising on those mistakes=more exciting racing.
JV visited Hethel a few days ago and was photographed with Clive Chapman at CTL. As that facility is so geographically close to the new F1 factory, there is probably some substance here. As a GV fan, I naturally supported JV in his CART endeavours and subsequently in F1. He had some great moments in his first couple of seasons, but proved a slightly glass-jawed champ in latter years and (IMO)would do well to have a crack at an ALMS campaign rather than join a potentially tail ending Grand Prix team.
Rollcage said:
I can only see him troubling the tail end of the grid. What is the point - new car and team, crap driver?
I suppose it wasn't THAT long ago he was still driving though, but even so........
EFA I suppose it wasn't THAT long ago he was still driving though, but even so........
While a part of me remembers that he seemed to generally be a pain in the arse and he really wasn't that quick, and IMO he'd never have had an F1 career if it wasnt for his surname. I would still love to be proven wrong as it would do great things for the sport both worldwide and especially in Canada.
Also imagine for a minute if JV and MS were both back (a stretch I know) - we'd have FIVE World Champions on the grid, that'd be awesome!
I loved this story in the Norwich Evening News, that reports JV being seen at a local pub.
http://www.eveningnews24.co.uk/content/news/story....
http://www.eveningnews24.co.uk/content/news/story....
KaraK said:
Rollcage said:
I can only see him troubling the tail end of the grid. What is the point - new car and team, crap driver?
I suppose it wasn't THAT long ago he was still driving though, but even so........
EFA I suppose it wasn't THAT long ago he was still driving though, but even so........
While a part of me remembers that he seemed to generally be a pain in the arse and he really wasn't that quick, and IMO he'd never have had an F1 career if it wasnt for his surname. I would still love to be proven wrong as it would do great things for the sport both worldwide and especially in Canada.
Also imagine for a minute if JV and MS were both back (a stretch I know) - we'd have FIVE World Champions on the grid, that'd be awesome!
I think it will be good fun to watch Villeneuve back in F1.
Im not a great fan but he will be interesting to watch and even more interesting in the interviews.
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