BAR Shootout

[scouseknight]

With Dave Richards wanting Jacques Villeneuve to compete in a shootout with several other drivers in the fringe of Formula One for the number two seat at BAR, and his participation of course being out of the question, what do you think about this?

[SteveP]

Yeah, i think the shootout is planned if JV isn't re-signed. I doubt a shoot out would decide it really, cause theres a lot mroe factors than simply who gets the fastest time. Honda are supposed to have a lot of money behind getting Sato a race seat, and i gues it's difficult to turn your engine manufacturer down ;)

I think JV deserves a seat in F1 next season, and most especially at BAR, afterall, he's stood by them for many seasons. If he's one of the few in f1 thats managed to beat Schumacher, surely he deserves a place in most teams on merit.

[scouseknight]

Indeed - Sato will be very hard to turn down.

Not JV's biggest fan but the sport would be poorer without him - as you've pointed out he's been head-to-head with Schumacher during the controversial years (well, the more controversial years) of his career - the mere fact he isn't as "dirty" now is perhaps a tribute to how much harder he had to fight with the likes of JV and Hakkinen.

[Norphy]

JV is a fantastic driver let down by an appauling car. It'd be good to see him back in a competitive car again but sadly I don't see it happening :(

I don't remember many drivers coming so close to winning their first race in F1. iirc he only came in second cos Williams ordered him to let Hill past because his car had an oil leak.

[scouseknight]

It's shocking when you think there are drivers like Coulthard who have time and again had good cars fail to do much when a driver of Villeneuve's calibre is now having to suffer the humiliation of taking part in a shoot-out for a number two seat - it really is.

Nothing against Button - I think he's doing a good job to be honest.

[blito]

personally i`m not sure why they would actually do this as the employability of a driver is not usually down to tenths of a second but down to the millions of dollars worth of commercial backing a driver may have.....
my own feeling is that BAR will try to keep JV but only if the price is right.... if he demands too much money then that second seat will be opened to Sato as he has the backing of Honda...

[blito]

btw nice to see you here SK :)

[scouseknight]

Cheers blito - I wondered when I would bump into you in this forum :)

It's a shame that money as opposed to driver ability is determining who drives for the smaller and less established teams.

If Schumacher wins WDC number six one can fantasise that he could retire on top and then Villeneuve could move to Ferrari and it would be great to see him and Montoya scrapping next season :)

But the chances of that happening are .... leave that one to you fellas :)

[SteveP]

Villeneuve in a Ferrari would be something special to a lot of people considering his dad's past with the team.

[blito]

it would have been nice to have seen JV in a fez whilst he was at the peak of his career, but JV`s star is on the wane these days and although he is still a hugely competant driver i doubt he would be able to summon the strength to be worthy of the ferrari number one seat.. lets face if schumy retires with 6 championships under his belt whoever replaces him is going to have to be spectacular to avoid bad comparisons with his illustrious forebear.....
and lets face it.. would YOU fancy being schumies replacement? to replace schumy is to go down in history as the flop who replaced the greatest driver of modern times...

and back to JV, racing for ferrari would not only weigh those comparrisons but also comparrisons to his father who of course was the greatest driver of his time...
so yes for the passionate of soul it would be great to see JV in a ferrari but i fear his reputation would be tarnished even more by his time there

[scouseknight]

It was once rumoured that he was wanted at Ferrari but refused to be accept the heirarchy that exists between the drivers - hardly blame him mind.

[Norphy]

Yeah, any driver that is Schumachers no. 2 is going to have a hard time. Any driver of that calibre does not deserve that. Considering how much that car is designed around schumacher its amazing that Barri and Irvine do/did as well as they do/did.

[Monie]

How would they do it?

Is it only me who would love to see JV, Sato and assorted other chumps all in a BAR being sent on a mini grand prix round a track? That would be fantastic :P

[Aardvark]

Whats really needed is for someone to put Fisi in a good car. At least JV had the best car at SOME point in his career...

[blito]

whats really needed is for someone to go dig nuvalari`s remains up to show these new boys what a real racing driver looks like :E

[Monie]

What, decomposed?

[blito]

hehe
never thought of that :o

[Norphy]

According to Yahoo News Sato has got the seat.

I wonder where JV is going next year then?

[blito]

canada?