liquid_x

Takuma Sato will be running into one of you very soon

Red Rider

Remember Andre De Crasheris

Chief F1 Fan

It might be sooner than you think--like this weekend. JV's not gonna race. Read this:



VILLENEUVE PULLS OUT OF JAPANESE GP
Last Updated: Thursday, 09 October , 2003, 12:46

Jacques Villeneuve may have raced in F1 for the last time after pulling out of the Japanese GP.

Villeneuve refused to compete after losing his BAR drive for 2004 to Takuma Sato earlier this week. The Japanese test driver will now step up to his new role a race early.

Team boss David Richards said: "I was travelling down here on the bullet train this morning and I received a call from Craig Pollock informing me that Jacques wanted to be released from his contractual obligations.

"I've agreed to this. If somebody doesn't want to drive, they don't want to drive and so Takuma will be driving on Sunday."

There had been whispers in the past - some put around by the French-Canadian himself - that BAR would replace Villleneuve with Sato for this weekend's race. But in the end, the decision was taken by the driver rather than the team.

Sato will be racing in front of his home fans this weekend. He finished a brilliant fifth at Suzuka for Jordan last year.

He said: "I am very excited for the Japanese fans to be racing here. I am very thrilled to be given this opportunity."

But while Sato has been given an unexpected chance to relaunch his F1 career on home ground, the move could spell the end of Villeneuve's F1 career.

Very few seats are available for next season and none would offer the salary or prospects that the former world champion might expect.

And Villeneuve's decision to throw his toys out of the pram by refusing to race this weekend is unlikely to create the right impression with team bosses.



North America's only F1 driver is now history. At least I got a chance to see him race personally, in CART and F1 a LOT of times!

I for one will miss the guy

Red Rider

Bummer on J.V. but i agree he didn't help his image by not running the last race. I still think CART could be in his future, maybe a year to stay sharp and then return ??

Starter

What is it with you guys and JV?

He's an arrogant AH, not as fast as some would think (see Button qualifying times) and usually is only faster than his teammate when he plays mind games with them. Won the F1 world championship because he was in the very best car that year.

He's not like his dad at all. Gilles was arrogant too, but could back it up any time any where. He wowed the other F1 drivers and the fans with his skill and daring. Unfortunately Ferrari, at the time, had the best motors but the chassis was a piece of crap.

JV is more like his uncle Jacques. A decent driver but nothing to write home about. The elder JV won the FAtlantic title, 1 CART race and maybe a couple CanAms (not sure on this one). His head also exceeded his skill.

CART needs some newer name power, not retreads.

Chief F1 Fan

You're right-he is an arrogant asshole. He wasn't though, when I had a nice long talk w/ him in Long Beach (95). He in my opinion, is a better driver than his father for one reason: he won the world championship 1x and his father did not. His dad's driving style was balls to the wall, banging wheels w/ competitors (Cevert) and sliding the car all over the road. Unfortunately, his desire to try and beat his competitors to the punch cost him his life in a meaningless practice session.
Last, I'd like to see a driver not win the championship in a top tier car. Look at the difference b/n Schu last year and this year. Ferrari went to a long wheelbase car this year and it screwed up the handling. In the end it took MS the entire season to (potentially) win the championship rather than just 14 races like last year.

soopa

lol... satos first race this season and sure enough hes making contact with someone.

granted it wasnt his fault tho


btw... fuk ferrari!!

Starter

I believe you're thinking of Rene Arnouix (sp?) in the Renault for 2nd place in France. Francois Cevert was killed at Watkins Glen in, I believe '72; Gilles didn't get into F1 til the end of '76. That lap the two of them banged wheels all the way around. It was a classic.

Gilles was killed trying to beat Didier Pironi's qualifying time. He felt that Pironi (his teammate) had personnally broken faith with him by stealing a win from him in the previous race, contrary to an agreement they had. They had agreed that which ever of them was in the lead toward the end of the race would take the win. Gilles had let Pironi win a couple races earlier when Didier's car was failing and Gilles could have passed. In this one Gilles was leading and backed off to stroke both cars home for a Ferrari one two and Didier passed him and took the flag. Gilles was incensed and would not speak to him again.

Chief F1 Fan

Yes, you are right Starter, it was Arnoux.