LM24 JV to drive Le Mans in '07?

curveball · 19 Jun 2006, 12:37 (Ref:1637173)

I wasnt sure if this should be tagged onto the end of the JV-Toyota thread or not, so if a mod knows of a better place to put this, please do.

Yesterday when I was watching the end of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, one of the Speed channel commentators was talking about the '07 Peugeot 2007 Le Mans Diesel V12 Prototype that was going to go up against the Audi. At one point somebody (and forgive me as I dont know who said it) said that JV, Panis, and one other F1 driver (bad memory, not sure if it was current or past driver) were almost certain to join up and run the 24 Hours for Peugeot. Just thought I would pass it along. Found it quite interesting myself.

**Peter Mallett** · 19 Jun 2006, 15:07 (Ref:1637240)

So he's definitely not going to be at BMW next year then?

Marbot · 19 Jun 2006, 15:32 (Ref:1637261)

I have a strange feeling that certain members of Speed Channel are also members of ten/tenths.

Michael Edick · 19 Jun 2006, 15:38 (Ref:1637268)

that would be fantastic!

has JV ever driven anything else besides single seaters in his career?

kipper · 19 Jun 2006, 17:26 (Ref:1637333)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Michael Edick

has JV ever driven anything else besides single seaters in his career?

Villeneuve did a few races in the Italian Touring Car Championship in '88 in a Salerno Corse run Alfa Romeo 33.

Mr V · 19 Jun 2006, 18:46 (Ref:1637395)

Quote:

Originally Posted by curveball

I At one point somebody (and forgive me as I dont know who said it) said that JV, Panis, and one other F1 driver (bad memory, not sure if it was current or past driver) were almost certain to join up and run the 24 Hours for Peugeot.

That must mean they know that JV won't be in F1 next year as no F1 team would allow their current driver to race in something like Le Man's whilst they are driving in F1.

curveball · 19 Jun 2006, 18:59 (Ref:1637401)

FWIW, Franck Montagny raced in one of the Prototypes this year...Actually he was in the #17 Pescarolo that finished 2nd overall!

Mr V · 19 Jun 2006, 19:08 (Ref:1637412)

Quote:

Originally Posted by curveball

FWIW, Franck Montagny raced in one of the Prototypes this year...Actually he was in the #17 Pescarolo that finished 2nd overall!

No doubt the deal was done for him to race Le Mans before he got the SA race drive.

Knowlesy · 19 Jun 2006, 19:49 (Ref:1637432)

Quote:

Originally Posted by kipper

Villeneuve did a few races in the Italian Touring Car Championship in '88 in a Salerno Corse run Alfa Romeo 33.

He also drove those wonderful Toyota sportscars in the early 90's alongside folk like Eddie Irvine, mainly in Japan.

Never did Le Mans though I don't think, unlike Eddie.

VilleneuveTracy · 19 Jun 2006, 19:49 (Ref:1637433)

Quote:

Originally Posted by kipper

Villeneuve did a few races in the Italian Touring Car Championship in '88 in a Salerno Corse run Alfa Romeo 33.

How did he do in that series?

kipper · 19 Jun 2006, 20:13 (Ref:1637451)

Quote:

Originally Posted by VilleneuveTracy

How did he do in that series?

Not that well, I think he got a 10th place on his debut at Enna and had a further two outtings, although I am unsure as to his results in these races. To be fair, these were his first races and had no karting to fall back on. Plus the Italian Touring Car Championship, at the time, was quite competitive.

MichaelC · 24 Jun 2006, 14:03 (Ref:1640287)

Jacques always said he wanted to win Le Mans to ensure he'd won the three most important things to him: LM, F1 WDC and the Indy 500. But he said he'd have to do it as soon as he retired from F1...

Silk Cut Jaguar · 24 Jun 2006, 15:17 (Ref:1640314)

I'm sure Jacques must have the Le Mans 24 Hours on his career to do list.

The 'Triple Crown' of motor racing has to be the most exclusive club in the world, with only one member - Graham Hill. Jacques has never struck me as the type of driver to chase records but that one has to be hard to resist.

VilleneuveTracy · 24 Jun 2006, 16:38 (Ref:1640360)

And JV would become the only driver in history to win the IndyCar championship, Indy 500, F1 WDC, and Le Mans. Keep in mind he won the last real Indy 500 (after being 2 laps down!) and the IndyCar title in the year before the split.

**Adam43** · 24 Jun 2006, 16:57 (Ref:1640371)

Le Mans? Sportscar? If he races in that he'll be a sportscar driver, so this needs moving. Besides a forum can have too many JV threads.

**Adam43** · 24 Jun 2006, 16:58 (Ref:1640372)

Quote:

Originally Posted by VilleneuveTracy

And JV would become the only driver in history to win the IndyCar championship, Indy 500, F1 WDC, and Le Mans. Keep in mind he won the last real Indy 500 (after being 2 laps down!) and the IndyCar title in the year before the split.

Graham Hill has done the big three. However I see you throw in the Indycar championship to make it more. However as two are big races then I think the trinity is Monaco, Indy and Le Mans.

**Adam43** · 24 Jun 2006, 16:58 (Ref:1640373)

Is JV a driver that can do Le Mans? He seems to drive for the race nowadays rather than Q.

Animeishdwarf · 24 Jun 2006, 17:47 (Ref:1640403)

I think it'd be interesting to see how F1 drivers do in the ways of GT/Endurance racing. I mean F1 drivers are supposed to be the best in the world, no? I think it'd be very interesting.

Silk Cut Jaguar · 24 Jun 2006, 18:13 (Ref:1640416)

F1 drivers are constantly having to alter their pace or aim for target laptimes throughout a race so the style of endurance racing shouldn't be all that alien to them.

I guess the biggest potential problem for career F1 guys like JV would be getting used to the night racing and negotiating with slower traffic every lap.

ger80 · 24 Jun 2006, 18:24 (Ref:1640427)

JV had a Audi R8 seat a few years ago, but he didnt got the ok from Honda

paul-collins · 24 Jun 2006, 19:18 (Ref:1640447)

Although the trinity of races Adam mentiones is probably the correct way to view it, it's not the way the title has been presented over here. That comes mostly from Mario Andretti's supporters (and I guess from Mario himself) as he's always wanted the overall win at LM to complete the trio. (Of course, he'd add the Daytona 500 to the list, then.)

I'm all for JV doing the ALMS and LM.

JAG · 24 Jun 2006, 20:33 (Ref:1640496)

Would be great if JV drove in sportscars.

IMO, he's a real racer, who competes for the thrill rather than the cash.

Also, IMO, he's second only to Schumacher in the most talented F1 driver stakes of the last 10 years, but the racer in him could'n t deal with the F1 politics.

Truckosaurus · 24 Jun 2006, 22:57 (Ref:1640573)

At least Villeneuve (Newtown?) has a bit of character, him and Mrs Irvine's Boy Edmund have been the only people in F1 that have been worth following in the last decade (why do I still hear my late grandmother saying "'deck aids' are things that assist sailors" whenever I type that word?)* or so.

* cold drinks have been taken.

Alwaysfirst · 24 Jun 2006, 23:48 (Ref:1640590)

It would be great to see JV competing at Le Mans. Once he's done that he can go on to do Petit Le Mans & the Daytona 24 hours! I don't think he'd ever be persuaded to do the Nurburgring 24 hours though. If he did manage to do all those (coz he'll never do the Daytona 500. He's said he doesn't want to do NASCAR) he'd certainly have a claim at the best all round driver ever.

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