rpm.espn.com: Users: BAR letting Villeneuve down

ESPN Network: ESPN.com \| RPM \| NBA.com \| NHL.com \| ESPNdeportes \| ABCSports \| WNBA.com \| FANTASY

Put the pedal to the metal in ESPN's
Fantasy Racing 2002.
Get your teams today!

Tuesday, February 12
Users: BAR letting Villeneuve down
ESPN.com

Here's what users had to say about Jacques Villeneuve and his future prospects:

He won one champonship with the best equipment of 1997. The true great drivers of Formula One can win with lesser equipment. He needs to stop his whining and show us how 'great' he claims to be.

Jeff
Kirkland, Wash.

Villeneuve needs to watch his own actions. Last year he was upset because Montoya was taking away his "identity" by supposedly using the same driving style. There's nothing farther from the truth. They may both drive very agressively, but Villeneuve does not have the sheer ability or "finesse."

J.C. Peterson
Redmond, Ore.

His 2002 season should improve over '01, but without serious loss of front runners in a race, neither he nor Panis will score a win this season. Much like JPM, Jacques stepped into a very good ride at Williams to score his championship and early wins. At BAR, he hasn't shown the ability to develop the car or team around him as Schummacher did with a dreadful Ferrari ride. Jacques, like JPM, has very good driving talent, but do either have the necessary skills to become a great champion like Prost, Senna or Schummacher by building and maintaining a superior car and team?

M. Harms
USA

BAR is a team that has had "losers" written all over it right from the start. Although his loyalty and tenacity are admirable, Jacques should have gotten out of this dead-end team after the first season. He's wasting his time and his talent.

Conny James
London

Villeneuve and BAR haven't gone anywhere, and they never will. He deserves better. He's a fan favorite who brings people out to the track. He's lost his passion for racing because of all the turmoil going down at BAR. Villeneuve has to drive the car at 110 percent all the time just to be remotely competitive. If nothing else, it can be fun to watch -- his chase of Frentzen at Indianapolis in 2000 was one of season's best. The bottom line is that the fault lies with BAR and not with Jacques. Talent-wise he's one of the top-3 drivers on the planet

Patrick Heber
East Lansing, Mich.

Jacques will definitely move on to a winning team in 2003, possibly Williams or Ferrari. After all, this is a sport where driver talents at this level are near equal and the only factor separating winners from losers is the hardware and team support.

Rob Goerz
Kitchener, Ontario, Canada

Villeneuve should be the darkhorse for this season. He is at his most dangerous when written off so I suspect he could surprise. Early season testing is a lot more positive than last year when he obviously didn't like the car. BAR has the ingredients to do well (Villeneuve, Dave Richards, Reynard) so it will be interesting to see how they develop this year. The most logical step for him should be to go to Renault next year but a good year with BAR will make the decision to leave difficult.

Mark Oudney
Auckland, New Zealand

Jacques has always been a competitor and its time for him to find a team with the equipment that can win! I respect him for sticking with BAR and the commitment he's made but unless 2002 is significantly better than last year it's time to go. Good luck Jacques!

John Fehr
Kirkland, Wash.

Jacques is one of the best drivers in F1 history. He's won every major series going through his skill and daring. While the BAR move was a financially profitable one, it's been a competitive boner. Jacques will drive his butt off this year, proving his worth to other, quicker car owners, and he'll jump ship at season's end (hopefully).

Jack Frost

Jaques is one of the best drivers in F1, but has thrown his hat in with a team, BAR, that can't seem to get focused winning races. Jordan outscored them last year with the same engines, this year Jordan has a weaker driver lineup and will still out score them. Jaques will race like he's going for the chapionship: BAR won't.

Alan Martin
London

Jacques is an enormously talented driver, but I have to wonder about his motivation. I don't understand how he can drive year after year in a car that has virtually no chance of winning. I'm sure he has more wins left in him, if only he had a competitive car underneath him.

Craig Banker
Prescott, Ariz.

Send this story to a friend | Most sent stories

	Driver Spotlight: Jacques Villeneuve F1 off-season driver spotlight index