Jacques turns down CART offer

[paul-collins]

He obviously was stalling, waiting for the news about Panis moving to Toyota to break.

I guess he figures he'll have an opportunity to either
(a) drive a decent car at BAR next year (and reassert his worth), or
(b) get paid by Pollock again after next year.

[BootsOntheSide]

Jacques was in a no-win position really. He's been overlooked by the top teams time and again, Ferrari becase they don't want a truly dfast driver as Michael's #2, Mclaren because he's not their kind of guy, and a Williams return would be a massive climbdown for both Jacques and Frank, neither of whom are known as shrinking violets when it comes to pride. BAR will never match those 3, and now that Craig is gone he has no personal loyalty to the team (something JV has a lot of, like his dad).

He was probably right to reject this idea though. The return to CART would have been risky for 1 year, history maybe won't record the 2003 CART title as one of the most competitive as its grid may feature lots of rookies, and worst of all would tie Jacues down for 3 years.

Amother thing is, will the notion that he's expendable at BAR hurt him, or inspire him to prove Dave Richards wrong?

[Liz]

It will cause no change in him. He will be a snarky git next year too and in 2004 he will be unemployed. And unemployable, unless Tony George offers him a huge paycheque to race with Sarah Fisher and Eddie Cheever in Kansas City.

[Jay]

Actually I think the 2003 Cart season will be the most competitive it's been in a while, with some of the older guys going and the quicker kids coming in. There's no guarantee that jacques would win the title, in fact I'd put my money on him not winng it. And what if he wasn't even winning races? It's a possibility...

This way he can stay in a place where he can blame the car and take his big pay cheque and say 'look I'm the 2nd highest payed driver in the world, thus I must be the 2nd best'.

[BootsOntheSide]

You've slightly misunderstood what I meant about next season in CART Jay. Lots of the top open wheel drivers and teams aren't going to be around, and the new drivers will still have to learn. The series will be close (if that's what you mean by competitive) but the overall driving standard will be lower than most years (and I think lower than by 2004), and it won't look like as great a feat as winning the title in 1995 with much less overall experience. I agree that Jacques wouldn't neccessarily win the title, though I doubt he'd do as badly as Zanardi last year.

[greg.n]

Lee J, when did Toyota announce they signed Webber. i'm not surprised if its true (only Massa or Sato were on if da Matta didn't make it)

[Red]

They didn't. Actually the newest rumor from F1-live.com is that they'll sign Verstappen. However Webber is supposed to drive a Jaguar next year.

[senna12]

As is often the case, there are 2 sides to every story.

Here is another.

http://espn.go.com/rpm/f1/2002/0829/1424572.html


Apparently there was never any real offer.

So the possibility still exists, you just never know what is going to happen.

[Tye]

Originally posted by Liz
Jacques will end up with no ride at all in 2004. He is too old for the top teams who all either have drivers under contract already or are looking for men 10 years younger than Jacques. After so many years at the back of the grid, and given his notorious "prima donna" attitude, I would be surprised if even Minardi offered him a drive when this bloated contract expires.

Jacques is my prime example of someone who could have had it all and instead took the money. But then half the people who come over to the CART board to trash our series insist that the only thing that matters in the whole world is a big fat bank account.....

Gilles would be ashamed of him. So, as a Canadian and a CART fan, am I.

Liz,

He is not too old to be in a top team.There have been drivers older than Jacques who have succeeded in a top team.

When Villeneuve left Williams they were definately on their way down,and looking at the last few seasons,I would say that the Williams team still have some way to go before they can seriously challenged for either titles.They certainly aren't going to do it anytime soon.Maybe Villeneuve knew something we didn't?

Why would Gilles be ashamed of him?

Tye

[Inigo Montoya]

Yes, according to Jacques, the story was total BS? Hmmm, damage control?

[paul-collins]

Now that I've been searching, I can't find an original source for this story. Le Journal de Montreal doesn't have its own news website, and all other sources point to this paper. You'll most likely end up at canoe.ca if you're looking for it, and their French report is less informative than the reports in other papers. It just asserts the contract and refusal with no sourcing of information.

Other versions of the story (eg TSN.ca) have lots of quotes, but only from Gerry Forsythe (from a telephone interview with Le JdM). He's the one putting the greedy quotes in Pollock's and Villeneuve's mouths.

I have a lot of respect for Forsythe, but it's on thin ice right now. I'd like to see the next round of disclosures on this story.

[Liz]

Name one who has come into a top team in the last 10 years at the age of nearly 32 years old, and been successful. Drivers are retireing at Jacques' age now. 34 is considered elderly in Formula One. [I admit that in the days when men were men, a man of 32 would be just about reaching his prime. These days that applies only in HASCAR.]

On the other hand, I can name several who have come in at the ages of 21 or even younger lately. I doubt very much if Ferrari, for example, faced with a choice between Massa, Montoya and Jacques, would opt for Jacques. By choosing either (or both) of the others, they could save themselves about $15 million per year.

[macdaddy]

Damage control that would've made Bill Clinton proud.

[Tye]

Originally posted by Liz
Name one who has come into a top team in the last 10 years at the age of nearly 32 years old, and been successful. Drivers are retireing at Jacques' age now. 34 is considered elderly in Formula One. [I admit that in the days when men were men, a man of 32 would be just about reaching his prime. These days that applies only in HASCAR.]

On the other hand, I can name several who have come in at the ages of 21 or even younger lately. I doubt very much if Ferrari, for example, faced with a choice between Massa, Montoya and Jacques, would opt for Jacques. By choosing either (or both) of the others, they could save themselves about $15 million per year.

Liz,

It would depend on how you define successful.Do you mean going into a top team and being WDC,or just going to a top team and getting wins and podiums.

I believe we were talking about Villeneuve not any other drivers,there are other drivers and then there is Villeneuve.When he arrived in F1 in his mid-twenties he easily adapted to F1 and nearly won the title in his first year.In my opinion he is a much better driver now, than he was when he entered F1.He would have no problem going to a top team and being successful.

Due to his lack of success at BAR over the last few years he will definately have to take a pay cut,no surprise there.That will be his price for taking the long and windy path back to the top.

I would certainly take Villeneuve over both Montoya and Massa.Montoya,as much as I like him,still has to prove himself,and Massa has done nothing to impress me so far.

Still have to tell me why Gilles would be ashamed of Jacques.

Tye

[Kex]

The thing that annoys me about drivers such as Villeneuve is that they only seem to be racing for the money.