F1-live made an interview with Jock Clear, JV's racing engineer, and this is what Jock has to say about him (at leat a part of it):
“If you step back and just ask yourself “how is the guy doing?” Jacques is an ex-Indy car champion, ex-Indy 500 champion, ex-world champion in F1! Whether people think so or not, he is one of the greats. There aren't many people that have achieved that much. Okay his name carries some clout over F1 because of his father and he may have been in the right place in the right time to be sitting in the Williams at the time that the Williams was a strong car, but then again so was Frentzen and he didn't win the championship, and so was Coulthard and he didn't win the championship. I think you really can't avoid the fact that Jacques' record speaks for itself. I like him, I think he's a fantastic driver, I think there's no one that can beat him out there in race conditions and in a head to head he will beat anybody in race conditions.”
“In Jacques' case in ‘97 he took a rest in the middle of the season because he figured that was what was best for him and when he came back in the last 4 races of the season he was very strong and won the championship. It's that ability to see where you are and to decide what's best for yourself that comes with being a champion, that's what makes the difference, and that's what all the people who are hailed as the next champion have yet to prove. We all know that Coulthard is very quick but he's got to prove that he has the ability when the championship is there to be battled for, that he can carry himself through the season in a way that's going to maintain the challenge. It's the same way with Montoya, he has to learn how to get the best out of himself week in-week out so when it comes to the last race he's still in with a chance of beating Michael Schumacher.”
I keep believing in Jacques, and I sincerely hope the BAR005 will be as good in race as it performs today in track testing. I'd LOVE to see him back in front, it's what keeps me interested in F1 lately, because without him, that would leave me with few interest for F1. I might be a lesson to the FIA...
