JV-BAR connections

[walter]

why would David Richards hire JV again if he knows he didnt work well with the team? Even if he did once won the championship, and is still a competitive driver, wouldnt it make more sence to take on a driver that the team had never worked with before?

Theres a saying that goes like this: between an unknown pain and one that has been felt before, always choose the one thats never been felt before.

JV definetly fits into one of those felt pains category at BAR.

[tempest]

Well, it was always my opinion that JV was respected by the mechanics, but didnt get along with dave richards. remember that he was one of the driving forces behind getting the team started, and stuck with them after a few very lean years. Bring him back. Plus the championship needs more people who are prepared to say what they think.

[Martini Man]

I think that would do well if he was allowed to return to BAR. When he left, the team was still mid-grid at best and the car's reliability, as well as its tyres, let them down, not JV. Now that BAR are real competitors, challenging for race wins and maybe even championships, they need a strong number 1 driver who can take the fight to Michael Schumacher and Ferrari. Surely the only free driver that fits the bill is Jacques. Even David Coulthard who has, admittedly, fought well against Michael on occassion has never proven himself to be competitive over more than a few races, let alone a full season. No, BAR needs to avoid making the same mistake as Williams for their 05 driver pairing and ensure that they have at least one driver who could, given the car, beat Michael. Neither Takuma Sato nor DC (or, for that matter, Davidson) can so that. Jacques can. For that matter, convince Honda that results sell better than passports and kick out Sato for the ultimate JV-DC combo - more than a match for Schuey-Barrichello or Raikkonen-Montoya pairing. PLEASE.

[bernard]

I'm gonna pull my old card here: Maybe it's Hakkinen that goes to BAR?
But seriously it's no joke. Mika is ten times the driver that Villeneuve is, I'm sorry to say. I've never really thought of Jacques as a serious worldchampion driver, more of a clown, somebody to bring some action to the sport. I would love to see him around next season with a competitive car, but I would much rather give that competitive car to Hakkinen, who I'm sure would take better use of the chance to beat Scumacher.
And infact he has been connected to BAR in the recent rumours, and he even said himself about the BAR discussions: "no smoke without fire" or something like that.
I've now been saying that Mika will return to F1 for bout half a year now. Even when many people didn't believe he would consider a return. I sure hope he does, because otherwise I'm gonna look like an idiot. Don't embarrass me, Mika!

[walter]

WELL SAID BERNARD!

I would have to agree with you on that one, I always kinda doubted JV as a competitive racer. Mika Hakkinen not only brought the fight to schumacher, he kicked his butt on many occasions. The only thing about hakkinen that seemed like a distraction to him was him being a human being rather than a robot, like schumacher. He let his feelings get to him, broke down and cried once after losing control of his car, (i think it was germany 99') I hope that this sabatical helped him put his feelings in check, and I really hope to see him on the grid.

[marcush.]

you might be right,but it speaks very much in favour of JV that both Teams who worked with him during his F1 time consider to or considered to bring him back.
Maybe Hakkinen is as good as JV or maybe he was..but both have the measure of DC .
If i were richards i´d give JV a proper shot at the title.

[dumrick]

I know that ethics is an old value now, but even concerning the possibility that a guy like Richards could in a year try to destroy a driver's carreer and the next one re-hire him...

JV is a great racer. He belongs in F1 like Hakkinen does.

[Spencifer_Murphy]

On the topic of a Hakkinen return...this months issue of F1 racing magazine suggests that Hakkinen may make a return to F1...in a Williams?! Now usually I'd dissmiss this, but F1 racing aren't usually that far off the mark, there must be some real possibility of it happening. Would be quite a nice driver pairing eh? Hakkinen and Webber at Williams, Kimi & JPM at McLaren, Alonso & Fisi (FINALLY getting a drive he deserves) at Renault. All in all it looks like 2005 might be quite interesting (That is if these teams can build car car to match next years Ferrari)

[bernard]

Hakkinen has been in talks with williamsF1, but williams propably took Jenson as the currently fast and much much cheaper option. The last thing williams wants right now is to take risks and gamble, so two drivers that are provably fast at the moment are an obvious move.
As for Villeneuve... as far as I know he hasn't been in any contact with motorsports, he hasn't even been in the media all that much... gives some questions about his driving motivations... If he loved racing he wouldn't give it all up. Just look at Hakkinen driving races in various racing classes, apperaring in motorsport events and in F1 races. I think the only way to get Jacques back into F1 would be cash, loads of it, and it wouldn't matter for him whether it would be minardi paying him. Just as long as he got paid big bucks. He's just not motivated anymore.

[dumrick]

There's such a difference between leaving F1 while you are on top and doing it after being publicly hummiliated by your team boss...

I'm just suggesting that, given the different circumstances and characters, one could not expect similar reactions...

[sharkie17]

No matter the circumstances of his leaving, if he had the desire for racing, he would have done so, like Bernard said.

i have to agree with Bernard again... JV aint coming back unless he gets his dough. (didnt he say that in an interview?)

[marcush.]

JV visiting Sauber..another intriguing story...this could be the making for a new winning team in F1....
with JV Peter sauber could ask and get a lot more money from sponsors and this could boost their already steeply increasing form curve even more.
that´s my favorite....sauber handled Alesi so they are well capable of extracting the most from JV.

[bernard]

It seems Villeneuve has now visited Sauber factory. They do have a position open for next year. But who takes the BAR seat then? Or if Richards forces Jenson to stay(that would be very much his style), then who takes the other williams seat? Oh and there are both places open on jaguar, as Mark Webber leaves and Jaguar can't wait to kick Redbull's slowass Klien out. If ford really does put more money and interest in Jaguar next season, then that is a nice place to show your skills and wake the interest of the big teams.
JV has said that he could drive for free, but I think that's just the biggest lie in the world. Mr accidental champion wouldn't come back to be bashed again unless he got some good money out of it.

[marcush.]

bashing JV is a bit unfair imo.Other drivers do and have earned mega bucks for little they have shown on the track as well.
But you´d have to respect he stayed at BAR when nothing improved,wich I think was not him who was to blame.
And don´t forget,he blew away Hill in his first F1 race in identical equipment and made poor damon work very very hard for his title.And he was champ in the second year of F1 racing,wich is surely a great achievement.He beat Michael fair and square on the track,...a mountain the likes of Montoya ,raikonnen still have to climb.Wait for him to come back and eat your words ,I will remind you in time

[bernard]

We shall see, maybe JV is worth his championship, maybe his car was. Who knows.
But beating Schumacher... Schumi had worse car and not the experience he has today.
Not to mention Schumacher is not really that excellent driver, his cars and teams make him look better than he actually is.
Beating the Schumacher/ferrari combination would be something, though.