Villeneuve to Toyota???

[hamsmith]

Originally posted by Bononi
To give feedback and build a team around him ? That's what happened to BAR, and there they are... Not to mention what he did (or not did) last season.

Never said build the team around him i said drive the car bloody fast.

What happened at bar was nothing to do with drivers. Do you really think that the way a team is run is really down to the driver? even at team Schu ( and he reconises this himself) it takes every one to know and understand there job and do it well to get the results needed to at least be respectable and the overall man in charge has the job to make sure this is happening. Where the hell did Craig Pollock come from. wasn't he a P.E/Ski instructor who thought it would be a great laugh to be a racing drivers manager and try to get him into the big game? why the hell anyone gave him money to set up a whole bloody race team is beyond me. as much as i do not like Dave richards he has gone back to basics and started all over again and that is why the team is moving forward not because of the departure of Villeneuve.

[TeddyG]

Originally posted by Peter Mallett


If he comes back then it'll be no good for him or F1.

Righhht despite the fact that numerous team principles, Bernie Eccelstone, and other drivers have made comments in direct contradiction to your statement.

Originally posted by Peter Mallett

There have been drivers whose passing I've regretted but he's one who should never have been there anyway! One good season and gawd knows how many mediocre seasons don't make him into his father.

I have heard some bs in my day but that takes the cake! There are many drivers (heck I'd say nearly half the grid) that don't derserve a seat in F1, JV certainly isn't one of them.

People always make the claim that he simply had the best car in 1997, despite it being one of the most competitve seasons we have seen in a long while! We had six different race winners that year, a number that has had not been equalled since until just last year. If people want to talk about having clearly the best car on the grid they might want to take a look at Shumi's titles a la 2001 and 2002.
JV deserve his title, no doubt about it.

Secondly I'd like to talk about the fact everybody blames JV for not making BAR some race winning team, but if they win this year he will have, since he put in the most testing km's of all drivers last year his input was no doubt vital to the development of the BAR 006.

Also I don't think many people appreciate what exactly it is JV tried to accomplish at BAR, to build pretty much a championship winning race team from virtually scratch. In six years it now looks like BAR on are the verge of challenging the big boys, reguardless if JV is there or not, he made it happen.

People ought to look at Jaguar, and Toyota supported by huge manufacturers and massive budgets who are still no where near the level that BAR are at now. Obviously it is no easy task to create a race winning team from new, but JV very nearly got to see some benefits from his endeavour. Its a tradgedy that he's not in that car this season. I think other team principles will realise the truth in all that I have just said and one of them will give JV one last opportunity in 2005. I'm sure they know he's gonna be motivated as hell to kick some BAR butt if given the chance!

[006_007]

Originally posted by Peter Mallett
Omigod. He won't go away. Its like Friday the 13th without Jamie Lee curtis!

If I'm considered ignorant then so be it. He's gone. If he comes back then it'll be no good for him or F1. There have been drivers whose passing I've regretted but he's one who should never have been there anyway! One good season and gawd knows how many mediocre seasons don't make him into his father.

Can't we move on please?

HMMMMM, Jamie Lee Curtis in a Toyota, now that would be GREAT.

[Kicking-back]

I don't think Jacques Villeneuve will ever race in F1 again.

And I don't think he really wants to.

[TeddyG]

Originally posted by Kicking-back
I don't think Jacques Villeneuve will ever race in F1 again.
And I don't think he really wants to.

Not according to his website. www.jv-world.com

Q: And a return to F1?

JV: I hope so. It would have to be an interesting drive, a good seat. I still have the desire to race. A lot depends on how things develop with the drivers and teams this year. Maybe there will be a big reshuffle for next season.

Q: So you don’t think that our last memory of Jacques Villeneuve, Formula One World Champion, will be watching you jump out of the BAR005 at Indianapolis after its engine blew?

JV: I hope not!

[Kicking-back]

I remain to be really convinced though.

Once he's been out for a year, he may well realise he can live without the demands of racing for a top team.

[TeddyG]

Well true nobody can be 100% sure of the future, but as of a week ago those were his comments on a comeback.

[santori]

Villeneuve and Frentzen to Toyota. Except that I like da Matta and Panis, too. Dammnit.

[Kicking-back]

There's even less chance of Frentzen coming back than Jacques.

Toyota should run their current drivers again next season.

[Kirk]

Originally posted by Peter Mallett
Omigod. He won't go away. Its like Friday the 13th without Jamie Lee curtis!




If I'm considered ignorant then so be it. He's gone. If he comes back then it'll be no good for him or F1. There have been drivers whose passing I've regretted but he's one who should never have been there anyway!

That statement is way beyond ignorant.

[Korr]

Eddie Irvine AND Jack V at Toyota next year!

R Schumi at Jordan!

Alex Yoong clearly deserves a seat in a Williams!

[DieRitter]

What's the biggest difference between MS and JV?

The hability to build a winning team... MS did, JV didn't.

So why would Toyota get him? Really doesn't make any sense.

Sorry.

[Adam43]

I fear that this thread has wandered a little from the original topic(Villeneuve to Toyota???). Although how much more there is to say on that matter I don't know!

By the tone of the more recent posts in this thread I suspect that much more wandering will cause the thread to be closed (not directly because it has changed topic, but because it has caused the level of discussion to deteriorate).

Remember attack the post not the poster.
Discuss the topic don't just flood the thread or forum with repeated posts that add nothing new.
Try to avoid blatant bashes and also flame baiting.
The previous thread(s) were closed for good reasons, can anyone remember what they were? (That was rhetorical BTW).

[ysofast]

As much of a fan of jv as I am toyota is not the answer. He is skilled but not enough to see past his shortcomings (poor pr and not team oriented) so who does he think would be his ride?? French guy french car.... I like that!

[DieRitter]

Originally posted by TeddyG
People always make the claim that he simply had the best car in 1997, despite it being one of the most competitve seasons we have seen in a long while!

Patrick Head stated many times that 97 should've been easier if JV wasn't so stubborn...

[Kirk]

If JV does venture from his mindset of wanting to join a top team only, Toyota could very well be the answer. Obviously being the arch rival of Honda may be enough incentive alone, but Toyota also possess a well respected engineer and budget is not an issue. They also seem to be there for the long haul and with a desire to be a top team. Having said that, I have my doubts as to the validity of this "rumour" and I think RS will likely end up there as well CDM will only get better IMO.

[F1Pete]

Gee, the rules on this forum are tighter than the F1 rules set out by the FIA. What's up with that? I think this thread is generating exciting discussion...am I wrong??

Anyway...back to the topic JV and Toyota. Well, that won't happen, but I still say he will be back.

[TeddyG]

Hahaha I can only imagine the look on neilap's face as JV steals the championship away from Honda in his Gascoyne desgined Toyota!

[TeddyG]

Seriously though I think Toyota would be a great drive for JV providing he can't land a Willaims or Renault seat. I suspect that by 2006 Toyota will be in a position to really challenge for the championship and will be much improved by next year.
What a great way it would be to pay back Honda for stabbing him in the back at BAR.

[rustyinsthoz]

With all the driver runored to be driving for Toyota next year , they will have to run a six car team .

[Meroo]

While I have full respect for the loyalty of JV's many fans, surely the straw clutching has become a bit desperate.

[Scottie]

If one looks at it from the point of view that Toyota must outclass Honda, then who better than Jacques, who has several years of running a Honda engine. He11, he might even get Jock Clear to jump ship and go to Toyota too! Their knowledge might prove to be quite valuable to the floundering Toyota F1 team.

[Glen]

Last year I did enjoy getting a rise out of JV fans - but that doesn't mean that I'm happy that he's out... so I just want to preface this post with an assurance that I mean this sincerely:

If, as assume, Toyota will be looking for someone to replace Panis as an experienced driver and developer of thecar then I honestly cannot see Jacques filling that role very well. Even at the height of his career when he deservedly picked-up the WDC he had a reputation for being willful and closed-minded on the car set up side (Patrick Head has said as much) and frankly that is the last thing Toyota need. What they need for that role is a guy that will be consistent, level-headed, constructive and technically super-sharp - I'd have thought DC would be a far stronger candidate. Or Ralf even (although he can be pretty hard to live with too).

[daniel27]

Originally posted by Meroo
While I have full respect for the loyalty of JV's many fans, surely the straw clutching has become a bit desperate.

It's not us clutching at straws, I didn't make up this news/rumour it comes from ITVF1, you know the guys who televise F1 for the english speaking world.

Teddyg and Kirk to not respond to comments by those such as Peter Mallet you will only result in this thread closing. Don't waste your time on such obvious flamebait.

Anyway Toyota imo will be the only team to truly consistently challenge the top three teams. Why? Because their budget is absurd, they have a factory second only to Mclarens, they have Gascoyne and anybody else they feel like dipping into their wallets for. Next year will see Toyota move into the top four teams I reckon and from then on the skys the limit. Renault and BAR on the other hand are hampered by budgetary constraints and less than stellar chief designers. It makes an attractive proposition for JV. Why do you think Ralf and DC are already banging down the doors in Cologne. I would expect others such as Fisi, Webber etc to follow suit.

[white968]

Preface this by saying I am not a fantical JV fan like some of the posters on this board but I did enjoy watching him race and listen to him make rash statements to the press for several years.

All this **** about JV not being a good development driver is without foundation. BAR was set up with a really **** managemnet structure to start with as has been stated many times before. Willis had this to say when he came on board:

"When I arrived it was pretty clear there were some substantial issues to be tackled," he said. "It became obvious to me that it wasn't understood how poor the car's performance was. They didn't understand almost what they were looking at. They weren't taking notice of what the drivers were saying to them.

"I've found really a lot of problems at all sorts of levels with people almost in some sort of denial about what those problems are," he added.

As for Patrick Head's view on JV, Head thinks the drivers need to drive the car the way he sets it up and that his technology gives him better feed back than the humans driving the cars. Once Head caved into JV's wishes on setup JV did much better.

Whether or not JV is good at development or not we will probably never know for sure but Newey valued his input and said so many years ago. I'll take Newey's opinion over the posters on an Internet forum any day.

Mark