Formula One has lost two of its unique drivers: Juan Pablo Montoya and Jacques Villeneuve. Montoya was dumped— I mean, Ron Dennis decided that "with so many things happening in Juan Pablo’s life right now, he should take some time out of the car and prepare professionally and personally for the future.” Perhaps Mr. Dennis was referring to Montoya’s appearance at a press conference in front of sponsors' banners not affiliated with McLaren Mercedes, announcing he'd secured a seat in next year's NASCAR series…
Jacques Villeneuve has also departed the sport. Immediately after the German Grand Prix, Villeneuve informed Sauber-BMW that the injuries he sustained during the race meant he was “not ready” to race in Hungary. Without any further ado, the team ditched the Canadian for Robert Kubica, who became the first Polish driver in Formula One. After a brilliant drive, Villeneuve's "temporary replacement" became permanent.
Say what you will about Montoya and Villeneuve’s driving abilities, they were two of the most colorful characters on the F1 grid. Montoya’s combative Latin temperament always shone through in his driving. He won the CART Title in 1999 and the Indianapolis 500 in 2000, both on his first attempt. Montoya’s skill and determination also gave Toyota its first CART win that same year. In 2001, he switched to F1 with Williams-BMW and won the Italian Grand Prix. In 2002, Montoya scooped seven pole positions with no wins. Disillusioned with Williams, he signed to drive for McLaren for 2005. With both Williams and McLaren he won seven out of the ninety-five races in which he competed.
Villeneuve was also a CART star. In 1995, only his second year in the series, he won both the Indianapolis 500 and the CART title. With the help of Bernie Ecclestone, he secured a ride in the Williams-Renault. Driving the best car in the field, Villeneuve grabbed pole position in his first race. He followed that accomplishment with two more poles and four wins in 1996. In 1997 the Frenchman earned ten pole positions, seven wins and the F1 championship. Since 1997 Villeneuve has neither been on pole nor scored a win. He won eleven races out of the one hundred sixty five in which he competed.
When explaining his decision to abandon Formula One for NASCAR, Montoya stated that he “wasn’t enjoying the races.” He also justified his decision by claiming “I had done everything I had to do and I had achieved almost all the goals that I had. I only needed to win a title and I realized my chances were very small. Leaving was the best decision that I could have made.” And in case you missed the point: “to fight for fifth position is not amusing.” While the statement was a standard rhetorical spin out, at least it showed a bit of tact.
Villeneuve took a rather less diplomatic approach. His first target was seven times champ Michael Schumacher. “He's a racer – but a pure racer, nothing but a racer and because of that, I think the day he hangs up his helmet people will just forget him”. And, “Michael simply isn't a great Champion because he's played too many dirty tricks and because he isn't a great human being. Yes, Senna played dirty tricks too but he did it with more class, more integrity. When he took Prost out at Suzuka in 1990, he said he was going to do it before the race.” So, playing dirty tricks is acceptable as long as you tell your fellow drivers that you will do it beforehand?
[As of this writing, Michael Schumacher owns the records for wins (89), pole positions (68), championships (7), fastest race laps (74), and most total points (1,338). It will be a long time before anyone forgets Michael Schumacher.]
Villeneuve’s next target was his former team. “I’ve led races, I’ve won races. I know how to do that. So I guess the question as to whether I’d drive for BMW next year was this: did BMW think they needed someone next year who could lead and win races? If they did, then they’d need me. If they didn’t then they wouldn’t. It just depended on how ambitious they were.”
When I think of “Villeneuve” I will always think of Gilles Villeneuve and Ferrari. People still talk about his wheel banging with Rene Arnoux in the 1979 French GP while fighting for 2nd place. Same goes for his heroic win in the 1981 Spanish GP, where he held up the 2nd through 5th place finishers for the final 18 laps. When I think of Jacques Villeneuve, I remember his recently released music video, which makes George Michael look butch by comparison.
Montoya will be missed. Jacques who?
Jacques Villeneuve is a (French) Canadian, not a Frenchman. In fact, the Montreal F1 track is named after his father.
Jacques Villeneuve is not a Frenchman. Although french speaking, he is like his father Gilles a Canadian. Sad state of affairs, there are no french drivers anymore in Formula 1 for the foreseeable future (Franck Montagny did earlier in the season a stint for a few races in the second Super Aguri after Yuji Ide was sent back home after causing mayhem in the field one time too many, but he could do no miracles in the slowest car on the grid).
That said, I have a slightly different view on the two drivers: Montoya did show some strokes of genius during his time in F1, all right, but lacked consistency and was often prone to “brain malfunction”, something you can’t afford at this level. You can not blame Ron Dennis for thinking that enough is enough. Best wishes to Juan Pablo for his career in NASCAR, but he will not be missed that much in F1, as his inability to find another team for 2007 demonstrates.
The case of Villeneuve is somehow different: he is a fighter, and has always been giving his best during the races. He may not have been that wise in his career moves. A questionable ability at car development and his knack at making enemies at the managing level in his teams (BAR, then BMW) put him, like Montoya, on the black list of the unmanageable drivers. Too bad, but I hope to see him back on the track, for example at Le Mans. Whatever he did afterwards, he still is a Formula One World Champion, and there are not that many people who can put that on their resume.
Two people have stated this already, by JV is not a Frenchman.
Typical Englishmen Yankee! ;)
When he took Prost out at Suzuka in 1990, he said he was going to do it before the race.†So, playing dirty tricks is acceptable as long as you tell your fellow drivers that you will do it beforehand?
He took out Prost as payback for the Frenchman’s booting him off the track the previous season.
When Senna started his career, several F1 champions were still in the game. When Shumacher started his career, there were two, Senna and Mansell. Mansell left for CART and Senna was killed at San Marino. The F1 field thinned out as new regulations made it too costly for some of the smaller teams. Shumacher raced first with Bennetton/Renault and then Ferrari. His only real competition was himself. He’s played many a dirty hand to win.
Correction, Alan Prost was still around when Shumacher started.
Also, you needn’t wonder why Jacques doesn’t care for the German. Shumacher tried to punt the Canadian off to take the ’97 world title. Didn’t work that time, but it did in 1994 when Mikey took out Damon Hill. So, despite racecraft and rain skills, Shumacher’s hands are not clean.
Corrected.
No, Michael Schumacher’s not an innocent bystander, but Jacques’ words are nothing more than sour grapes. He was world champion when Williams dumped him and, without a good car under him, has not done much since.
Contrast that to Schumacher, who helped to rebuild Ferrari to being the dominant team. How many world championships did he win again, Jacques? How many in a row?
So, Jacques, after Michael Schumacher completely rewrites the record books, where shall we find your name? In the appendix, probably. You will have been forgotten.
I think it’s highly questionable how much a factor being a complete and interesting human being has on being remembered as a race driver – especially in Formula 1.
Phil Hill remains one of the most erudite racing drivers – in any level of auto racing – and yet, most Americans don’t know his name and wouldn’t recognize him on the street. Of course, that has much to do with the fact that F1 had never been particularly popular in America.
How many people know who Sam Posey is? He remains another of the more interesting people to have ever raced automobiles; and yet, most of his fellow countrymen are more familiar with who is on the WWE (Worldwide Wresting Entertainment) network.
If you said two letters – AJ – to most Americans interested in motor sports, or even most Europeans or Asians interested in motor sports – they would know to whom you are referring. (Sadly for the poor AJ IV, not he.)
In South and Central America, many people still know who Juan Manual Fangio was – due to his five F1 championship seasons (that and his country of birth).
Like the character Will Ferrell portrays in that inexcreble (sic), yet at times, extremely funny movie “Talladaga Nights,” said, (repeatedly) “If you’re not number one, you’re last.”
I will miss neither Montoya nor Villeneuve.
Montoya may have hade some good driving, but just too often he did not know when he had lost, and kept on pushing against someone who tried just to overtake him. He has caused so many accidents, that this just shows his inability to give best performance under pressure.
Villneuve like Montoya had always enough to say against M. Schumacher without ever reaching Schumachers speed and ability. It is not enough to claim that you are good – you have to show it.
Schumacher has shown it – especially by helping rebuild Ferrari. This is a true ability! Being able to tell your technical people where a car underperforms, and helping improve it. Winning in the best car is something many of the drivers could, as even Villeneuve was able to show.
Look at the bad shape Ferrari was in when Schumacher took over – and he even managed to score wins, to finish, to win points, to take second place in the championship – with a car, which clearly was way off the mark Williams set. This is real driving!
Schumacher may have made mistakes, but he will be known to have been the best Formula 1 driver for ages.
I won’t be missing JPM or JV next year in F1. I wasn’t a fan of JPM and his F1 driving tactics. JPM was an impressive driver on cold tires, maybe the best in F1 for those few laps after a pit. But his driving style was too agressive for F1. There is no “rubbing is racing” in F1; which often meant JPM crashed out, taking others with him. That said, I think his aggressive style and driving ability on slippery tires will transalte very well to NASCAR.
As for JV, I’ll only miss that baggy driving suit of his. Looked like a big diaper.
I won’t miss either, and have never been a fan of Vileneuve, but can anyone help me with a memory of Vill?
One year at Spa, in qualifying, Villeneuve came through the bus stop chicane sideways, never lifted, and rocketed out of there like a shot. It was one of the more ballsy driving moves I’ve ever seen.
I want to say it was in the red and white livereied Williams, but could be wrong.
Missing either of these drivers will be very hard. At least one of them won a title. JPM’s performance at McLaren was dismal, and at Williams was disappointing. Given the cars he drove and the expectations he carried, JPM didn’t really do any better than Da Matta in the uncompetitive Toyota.
And, while Schumacher’s greatness is stained by his odd or beligerant moves, he took did take Ferrari from mid-pack to overdog. He probably wouldn’t have set as many records had the competition been better, but he’d still be top-rated in the past decade.
That doesn’t mean I have to like the guy, only respect his abilities.
“And, while Schumacher’s greatness is stained by his odd or beligerant moves, he took did take Ferrari from mid-pack to overdog.”
A very important point, MX5bob. The true champions in F1 (Fangio, Clark, Stewart, Lauda, Prost and Senna) each had one thing in common that the average F1 driver lacks, the ability to win over his team and make them work for HIM. All great leaders have that talent. No matter how good a driver Montoya or Villeneuve were, they never got their teams behind them in that way.
Please. It’s not that Formula-1 will fall apart without these drivers. But:
anybody who makes it to Formula One is no doubt a great driver. That being said, this is the top of the line. No matter how successful you were in the CART or the Indy 500 or Formula 3000, the F-1 is the real deal where the cream of the crop has their final challenge. Trying to justify Juan Pablo Montoya or anybody else’s greatness with enumerating their previous successes is not fitting. JPM was a good F-1 driver. He definietly brought his unmistakably latin temperatment to the racetrack. Watching this guy chase down Schumacher or anyone in front of him was a delight, but when he trashed his Williams into the wall several times his maiden year, I started to wonder wheter he is champion material. I still remember 2003 and the Indianapolis paddock filled with colombian flags. That was the closest he came to the title… but previous impeccable records, victories in other series, agressive driving style are just not enough. F-1 champions require something more, something that carries the team (as was written in the previous excellent posts), but also something that sets the person apart. Luck is needed as well, but without the genius success is always elusive.
That brings us to Jaques Villeneuve. He was champion once, so there was a glitter of genius. That was his time, his patience and a fair amount of luck as well as a still excellent Renault powered Williams took him there in 97. After that he struggled with a weak car, and in the recent years wheter at BAR or other teams we could see a fading old tiger who did not have his bite any more but still thought he had it. After proving it race after race that he is not the same driver who was champion once, BMW had enough. Sad to see such a good driver fade away like that …
That being said, I keep them both in my mind as they were at the height or their careeer. We will hear for sure of JPM in Nascar as we do hear of Mika Hakkinen in DTM, after all these people cannot live without racing and even Jaques might show up in Nascar one of these days.
But the show goes on. Besides the ‘young lions’ of yesterday, Raikonnen, Alonso, Button, Webber, new faces such as Nico Rosberg and Kubica are showing up to challenge the remaining old tigers such as Schumacher who still has a terrific bite and Coulthard who still enjoys bringing in points for his team. This is not the end of a story, it’s just the closing of a chapter …
Fantastic post. Thank you.