Villeneuve to drive for USF1 next year ?

[Gonner]

Jacques Villeneuve is close to securing a contract to return to Formula One with the new USF1 team in 2010, Sport Bild reported Wednesday.

The French-Canadian, now 38, last won a Grand Prix in his championship year of 1997 but subsequently drove for BAR, Renault and Sauber/BMW until 2006.

Having failed to establish a career in NASCAR, he recently attended some Grand Prix, reportedly buoyed by the reduction in downforce, the return of slick tyres and the opportunities afforded by three new teams.

Villeneuve did not refer specifically to USF1 but admitted to the magazine: "It is true, I will return to Formula One."

Sport Bild said the official announcement could be made within the next few weeks.

The report also said USF1's first Cosworth-powered car will be ready in October, with Aragon (Spain) and Le Castellet (France) at the top of the list to be the team's European base. The cars are being designed and built in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Source: GMM

[WhiteBlue]

It will be nice for Villeneuve fans. I don't expect Jacques ever to be at the top of F1 again. His time is over IMO and Kubica replaced him quite easily.

[Ian P.]

If JV can get and stay motivated, his experience with the cars and tyres and knowledge of the tracks will be a benefit to a new team.
The reality is that any new team won't be competitive for at least two years (Braun excepted...) and in that time, having an experienced driver will be a big boost.
It will all come down to team management and how the relationship works.
The good news is that Jacques is quite used to running around at the back of the field.
Pedro De La Rosa is in the same class. Probably even more experienced and technically knowledgable.
Good luck to both of them.

[StrFerrari4Ever]

I don't know about you guys but I'm expecting some great things from Jacques in 2010 if he does get a seat. He maybe past it but if he can stay motivated , train like a maniac and just show the characteristics he showed in that title winning year he could have an astonishing year whether he'll ever get close to sniffing another World Championship is another story but USF1 i'm sure will build a competetive car.

[adam2007]

hes a joke. he didnt deserve that 1997 championship. what a waste bringing him bk hes old, slow and crap.

[jddh1]

A French-Canadian driving an American car. Where has the world come to...?!

[natef1]

A French-Canadian driving an American car. Where has the world come to...?!

.. And after all the talk about being an all-US team.

Yes, Jacques has experience, but as Ian Philips said the other day, he's probably one of the worst WDC's in F1.

Very average driver, I wish it could work out but it won't.

[Giblet]

All the talk about an all American F1 team was just their goal, and it was going to be a hard one to reach.

They tried to make it all American, and were unable to realize this goal.

It should not be recognized as a failure though. This site is so incredibly negative towards USF1 it's almost kind of amusing.

Now the tech heads here have finally realized that America is actually one of the technical leaders of the world, and is more than capable of making an F1 car.

Getting someone like JV to drive for them is a very good fit. He has a lot of support here in Canada, and we want our frikking race back. We fill the stands, even when JV is not racing, unlike the rich Arab countries, who don't care to watch the race, they just wanted to have a real F1 race like the 'real countries'. Same reason they build megacities in 10 years like Dubai. Show off to the world. "Look at me! I have overcome short man syndrome. I have a Formula One race!! Well that was fun, let's move on to a giant building that looks like a rain cloud". Sigh.

Not only has JV stayed sharp by racing in other series, he has set up a new team from basically the ground up, who is now winning the championship. There has been many years since he and Pollock were involved, but the learning still took place. A very impressive drive in ALMS shows he can still tussle with the rest.

[jddh1]

All the talk about an all American F1 team was just their goal, and it was going to be a hard one to reach.

They tried to make it all American, and were unable to realize this goal.

It should not be recognized as a failure though. This site is so incredibly negative towards USF1 it's almost kind of amusing.

Now the tech heads here have finally realized that America is actually one of the technical leaders of the world, and is more than capable of making an F1 car.

Getting someone like JV to drive for them is a very good fit. He has a lot of support here in Canada, and we want our frikking race back. We fill the stands, even when JV is not racing, unlike the rich Arab countries, who don't care to watch the race, they just wanted to have a real F1 race like the 'real countries'. Same reason they build megacities in 10 years like Dubai. Show off to the world. "Look at me! I have overcome short man syndrome. I have a Formula One race!! Well that was fun, let's move on to a giant building that looks like a rain cloud". Sigh.

Not only has JV stayed sharp by racing in other series, he has set up a new team from basically the ground up, who is now winning the championship. There has been many years since he and Pollock were involved, but the learning still took place. A very impressive drive in ALMS shows he can still tussle with the rest.

I was being sarcastic with my comment.

I do agree that JV is a good fit. But if USF1 does take him, they must also take a young 19-20 yr old American to get experience in the car and grow with the team. As Ciro and others have mentioned around here, yes they exist. They need to take one of them who's got the most potential at this point and groom them while JV does his thing for the next couple of years. Let Danica suck in Nascar.

[modbaraban]

I'm very positive about Villeneuve but I doubt he can do much good for USF1 (if they make it). I'd hire a recently experienced F1 driver (or test driver). Someone like De La Rosa, Barrichello or Heidfeld would be perfect. Look at Bourdais in STR. Drivers like these need a well settled team to show what they're capable of, not a struggling one. Not to mention that Jacques tends to speak his mind which is seen as almost obscene in Formula1 these days. Some even call it 'being too negative to succeed'

PS: I hope they prove me wrong!

[Ray]

Why? So he can suck there too? And piss and moan about everyone screwing him over? Or cry about David Richards? Or being a 'World Champion'that never lead another lap after he won said championship? He's average, very average. I hope he stays away from USF1, not because I'm from the US, but because if they do any good he'll only make them look slow.

[natef1]

All the talk about an all American F1 team was just their goal, and it was going to be a hard one to reach.

They tried to make it all American, and were unable to realize this goal.

It should not be recognized as a failure though. This site is so incredibly negative towards USF1 it's almost kind of amusing.

Your misconceptions of negativity are amusing.

I think a lot of people want USF1 to do well. Personally I'd much rather have US involvement and American (and I will include Canada for sake's sake) involvement than all the money-money countries in the far east and Asia, that as you rightly said, don't give a toss about motorsport right now except for the way they can promote themselves and their brands. Not that the US wouldn't do that either

Initially I just meant that the line coming out of USF1 was that everything was going to be American, it's just funny to see how far they're backtracking on that early mission statement.

Also, yes, actually, some people are negative towards USF1. Probably because of the name!

If they called themselves Pro-Ninja-Xtreme Racing, people would respect them a bit more

[Giblet]

Sorry if I sounded like I was pointing at you, but I meant the general population of this board

I look back at when Red Bull came in and how nobody could take a party team drink company seriously. Same thing with Force India, but both teams have made huge strides, and keep getting better.

Misconceptions? Like a whole thread about how USF1 and Peter Windsor were blowing smoke up our collective arse about his team plans, and his completed car in CAD stage? People drawing cartoon CAD cars? You mean those "misconceptions" right?

I don't make things up (often) bud. But I am often wrong.

[RacingManiac]

If Villeneuve is being out performed quite handily by his team mates in the same car, and outperformed by his rivals in an inferior car, when his equipment should be much better, it says to me he is no longer F1 material....

2008 Le Mans, look it up....

[WhiteBlue]

2008 Le Mans, look it up....

I wasn't impressed with his race. Give me McNish and I drool.