Adam - please bear with me, but let battle commence

[jhansen]

Craig Pollock is doing his job (for once) and keeping JV's name in the headlines. It is totally irrelevant if there are, or are not talks in progress. Obviously this is a good time to plug JV, especially where Williams are concerned. Monty is leaving and Ralf's status is completely up in the air. But, all things considered, I give JV a slim shot at a Williams drive if the stars align. Ralf needs to leave and Webber, Alonso and Button all stay locked in where they are at. That would give him a chance. What's the other option? Toyota? lol Why go there and get thumped by the "other" Japanese manufacturer (which is run by DR)?

Question to TeddyG. Who ELSE do you think has a shot at a Williams drive other than JV? Oh yeah, and one other thing, do you ever post in threads where JV is not mentioned?

[Adam43]

Originally posted by jhansen
Craig Pollock is doing his job (for once) and keeping JV's name in the headlines. It is totally irrelevant if there are, or are not talks in progress.

It is good for him to have his name thrown around. However I imagine that it could annoy a lot of team bosses. Also is it much good if it just becomes a joke?

[Irv the Swerve]

Originally posted by jhansen
Craig Pollock is doing his job (for once) and keeping JV's name in the headlines. It is totally irrelevant if there are, or are not talks in progress. Obviously this is a good time to plug JV, especially where Williams are concerned.

hmmm....Do you honestly think Frank Williams would pay any heed to Craig Pollock's inane ramblings to the press when deciding on his drivers?.......that would be 'no' then.

[TeddyG]

Originally posted by jhansen
Craig Pollock is doing his job (for once) and keeping JV's name in the headlines. It is totally irrelevant if there are, or are not talks in progress. Obviously this is a good time to plug JV, especially where Williams are concerned. Monty is leaving and Ralf's status is completely up in the air. But, all things considered, I give JV a slim shot at a Williams drive if the stars align. Ralf needs to leave and Webber, Alonso and Button all stay locked in where they are at. That would give him a chance. What's the other option? Toyota? lol Why go there and get thumped by the "other" Japanese manufacturer (which is run by DR)?

Question to TeddyG. Who ELSE do you think has a shot at a Williams drive other than JV? Oh yeah, and one other thing, do you ever post in threads where JV is not mentioned?

Toyota is already producing some say the best engine in F1 and with Gascoyne I wouldn't doubt that they will be on top by 2006, but it is more of a risk than Williams or Renault, but also with some great potential benefits.
The other drivers who have a shot at the Williams seat? Well you mentioned them: Webber, Button, Alonso. I would add Dixon to that list of SERIOUS contenders for the seat.

However as I mentioned before all these drivers are locked up in contracts until 2006 and I doubt Frank is interested in paying the huge sums to buy them out and bicker over money again. In addition why would Button leave BAR now? They are doing BETTER than Williams and their future looks promising. This is the same with Alonso, Renault is a great team and Alonso's future seems more linked with a Ferrari move rather than a Williams one.

Frank can hire JV cheap on a perfomance contract for one year and see how he does. If he sucks then he can hire a young gun in 2006 when they are available.

So this really leaves Webber and Dixon providing Ralf leaves the team. Like I said Frank may decide to opt on JV in order to wait until 2006 to get Webber for a better price. A Dixon/JV combination may just happen I think.

If Ralf does stay at Williams that opens up the spot at Toyota that Villeneuve can take. I think Coultard will be the other candidate for this seat but he is a proven failure to bring home the goods and the fact that the McLaren is a total dogg this year means no team will gain from his McLaren info he may be able to impart.

The least likely of the three I think might be Renault, but its possible that Trulli could be given the boot, as a Renault/JV combo could be a goldmine for the French team. However Briatore may not want to upset the status quo of Alonso being the #1 driver, especially since Alonso's reputation of being the next big thing is Briatore's ticket to taking his 15% of any future lucrative contracts he might sign. JV might hurt this reputation IF he gets the upper hand on Alonso...note the "IF". However in the end its not Briatore's decision because if Renault want JV bad enough they'll get him.

It just seems very likely to me that JV will be in one of these three top teams next year. I think Toyota may be risky but will allow JV to take a brand new team to the promised land, something he was PREVENTED of doing at BAR this year. Plus it would be great to beat out back-stabbing Honda by stealing away their championships in the Toyota.
However I'll just be happy to see him racing again.

Do I post on other topics hansen? Yes it has been done but I am a fan of the individual, the hero, and not inanimate objects or corporations. JV is a personality that I can identify with and respect. He also provides a colorful character to the F1 paddock in contrast to the bland "yes men" and corporate lackys that now sit in the majority of the race cars today. Sure other aspects of F1 interest me but they are purely secondary compared to the human component i.e. the driver, the hero...and for me that's JV!

[Kirk]

Originally posted by jhansen
[B]Craig Pollock is doing his job (for once) and keeping JV's name in the headlines. It is totally irrelevant if there are, or are not talks in progress. Obviously this is a good time to plug JV, especially where Williams are concerned. /B]

Call me naive but I'd like to think Craig would not play that game and when he says talks are going on, in fact they are. We all know JV as a straight shooter and he would not have CP as his friend and agent, if he didn't possess the same quality. Having said that however, I will believe Jacques will be back only when he has signed on the dotted line.

[hamsmith]

Call me naive but I'd like to think Craig would not play that game and when he says talks are going on, in fact they are. We all know JV as a straight shooter and he would not have CP as his friend and agent, if he didn't possess the same quality. Having said that however, I will believe Jacques will be back only when he has signed on the dotted line.

Naive.

Craig does play that game sadly.



As posted before.
As exciting as the whole story is I have to say does anyone remember the Craig Boll*x stuff he said to the press at surfers paridise? I think it went something like JV would be in a testing role at McLaren for this season. I think this was followed up with a press release from McLaren saying that the team had talked to Craig but were not going to offering JV the test role.

[strad]

I'm thinking Jacques experience will weigh heavy against Dixon and I'd bet Jacques has discovered a new attitude and will be the pick of the litter....

quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
IRL IndyCar champion Scott Dixon’s hopes of landing a Formula 1 race seat with the Williams-BMW team next year have been raised by the prospect of additional tests with the team this summer

The New Zealander, who impressed in tests with Williams at Paul Ricard in France and at the Spanish GP circuit of Barcelona, says he talked to Williams last week about arranging another run in the FW26, though he concedes that finding a suitable date will not be easy. "Maybe in July," said Dixon, "but even that's tough because of the schedule."

Dixon's contract with Target/Chip Ganassi Racing is up at the end of the season, but he faces strong opposition for the race seat at Williams. Jacques Villeneuve's manager, Craig Pollock, has confirmed his man’s interest in returning to the team with which he claimed the 1997 World Championship, among others.

“I would put a lot of money on Jacques being back in 2005," Pollock told Britain’s The Sun newspaper. “I have already had discussions with the right teams.

"Jacques had offers to drive this season,” Pollock added, “but he is only prepared to race for someone who will give him a chance of fighting Michael Schumacher for the title. He is hungry to race again and fitter than ever thanks to a new training program. Money will not be an issue when negotiating a return, but what he will not do is chug around at the back of the field. He wants a car that can win races and fight for the championship. Williams is certainly an interesting prospect.”

Others believed to be in the running for a Williams seat include Jaguar F1 driver Mark Webber, as well as Williams test drivers Marc Gene and Antonio Pizzonia.

[Knowlesy]

Webber and Dixon will be driving for Williams next year. You can just see that it will end up that way, like it or not.

[Rennen]

Well said...Ralf fan!

[Webslinger]

Strange how a team might be prepared to pay a lot of money for JV, and it will be a lot, because JV has in mind what he is worth and it isn't peanuts. This is especially so when a young 'hot' driver, like say Anthony Davidson, who COULD be paid peanuts by comparison, but who could quite probably do a similar if not better job.

In the value for money stakes I know where my choice would lay, and that is said as an admirer of JV in the past. I just believe that a young coming driver could do a better job, has more fire to show that he can actually do the job, and it would not cost me a great deal to enjoy the rewards of that driver's efforts.

Speaking purely personally here, and knowing what Davidson is capable of on a street track (viz Pau and Macau), it would not surprise me at all to find the name Anthony Davidson, at the top of the time-sheets after first qualifying in Monaco.

Any takers on it being different?

[Peter Mallett]

Davidson and Gene offer real value with no baggage.

JV has had his chance and it really makes no sense to consider him further. Driver's F1 careers end. Good driver's F1 careers end too.

He'd be great in a sportscar.

[Kirk]

Originally posted by Peter Mallett
Davidson and Gene offer real value with no baggage.

JV has had his chance.

PULLLEASE. I fail to see why these repetitive and unobjective posts by JV bashers persist. HE HAS NOT BEEN GIVEN A CHANCE and that is why many would like to see him in a decent car again. I might add that the last time that that occurred JV was at or near the lead consistently. But don't fear there is no chance that he will chop anyone if they challenge him for position.

[Gt_R]

And similarly i don't understand why JV fans like to take cheap shots at MS whenever their boy is under pressure

[Peter Mallett]

It wasn't a bash. If I recall correctly JV hasn't got a drive this year therefore it equates to "had" his chance. If he gets a drive next year he will have "another" chance. Simple really and very objective.

However instead of suggesting that I am bashing JV why not question the right of Ant and Gene to have "their" chance?

You also failed to follow my entire post therefore I suspect you are trying to attasck me rhather than the post.

Look at the rules please.

[Mr V]

Originally posted by Peter Mallett
Davidson and Gene offer real value with no baggage.

Webber and Davidson would make an ideal Williams pairing imo.

I honestly don't see Gene getting a race seat, mainly due to the fact that JPM (definatly) and Rafe (most proberbly) will be leaving at the end of the year. If Marc were to be "promoted" who would be their tester?

Maybe Villeneuve would like the oppertunity?

[Gt_R]

For somebody who spent 8 years in F1, i really don't understand what people mean that JV deserves a chance..

He's given a chance to enter F1 with the best car. (he took it and enjoyed 2 years of great cars...1 WDC)
He's given a chance to stay or leave for BAR. (he left for BAR)
He's given a chance to build a team from basically nothing. (he took it upon him and HIS team a great task)
He's given 5 chances to bring the team glory...(which for certain reasons it didn't come-not fully JV's fault anyway)
He's given a 6th chance to continue that goal...(which due to conflict he decided to turn down)
He's given a final chance to find another seat in 04 (he failed nobody wanted to sign him.)

I've known many other drivers who didn't even get a fraction of those chances...

[Peter Mallett]

Originally posted by Mr V
Webber and Davidson would make an ideal Williams pairing imo.

I honestly don't see Gene getting a race seat, mainly due to the fact that JPM (definatly) and Rafe (most proberbly) will be leaving at the end of the year. If Marc were to be "promoted" who would be their tester?

Which puts Marc in the same boat as Ant. Too valuable as a tester to promote. Wurz has the same at Macaroon.

Then if we are taking them out of the picture we have to look at others. But I still see too much baggage with JV unless he's changed (and this is a perception I have based on his performances over the last three years).

The other JV isn't an option so where do the replacements come from?