Villeneuve to Ignite Own F1 Team Next Year
Formula One and Indianapolis 500 champion Jacques Villeneuve is poised to return to F1 in 2011 at the helm of his own new team, Villeneuve Racing. According to German magazine Auto Motor und Sport, after a four-year hiatus from F1 the Québécois talent is preparing to leave his mark on the track yet again. BBC Sports quotes Villeneuve's manager Rick Gorne as stating that “F1 is a possibility – he does have the intention to get back. It's a project we're working on.” If all goes to plan, Villeneuve Racing will be the thirteenth team to participate in the F1 championship next year, promising to add excitement to an already highly-anticipated season.
Villeneuve has been striving to make a comeback into F1 for years, and almost succeeded at the start of this season when he signed for Serbia's Stefan Grand Prix which was later rejected by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile. FIA will also make the decision for the 2011 season, with three teams competing for the thirteenth spot. Although FIA has not yet confirmed speculation that Villeneuve Racing submitted an application to be the last team on the grid, Gorne has revealed that “there is an element of truth to the rumours.” And, having passed the required technical and financial checks, it looks as though Villeneuve Racing stands a good chance of getting the wheels rolling.
Comeback Anxieties
If Villeneuve Racing makes the starting line, it remains unclear as to the role Villeneuve himself will play, with the possibilities ranging from driver to owner, even both. Yet despite Villeneuve's extensive experience in motorsport, it will be difficult to make the cut in whatever role he chooses to undertake. As a driver, Villeneuve will be re-entering the sport at 39, carrying with him a variety of racing experience. But as with multi-champion Michael Schumacher, the challenge of using knowledge and technique to compete with the stamina of young hotshots such as Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel will be an uphill struggle. Villeneuve's last turn at F1 fell short of success and he was replaced by Robert Kubica thirteen races into the season. And then there is the question of car itself; will it handle correctly, how well will the tires fare in varying weather conditions, and can the engine keep up with the likes of the Red Bulls, Mercedes, and McLarens. Villeneuve will be facing the same adversaries as his colleagues, but with the added pressure of being a returning champion.
Then there is the responsibility as a team owner which he is to consider, entailing the management of a development team which can produce a cutting edge car within a certain budget, and executing a competitive team strategy that can perform at the most crucial stages of the championship season. To manage the politics of team ownership ethically and professionally is often one of the most gruelling aspects of F1, and several new teams have crashed and burned within their first season. Villeneuve will need to rely on his own intuition and the know-how of Gorne to survive the cut-throat industry of team management. And Gorne has the credentials to live up to this role, being one of the founding members of British American Racing, which would later become Honda, Brawn, and Mercedes, respectively.
Currently, Villeneuve is involved in the U.S. Nascar series and states he “is working as hard as ever.” Yet it seems that Villeneuve's heart has never truly left F1, and a return to the sport that his own legendary father Gilles Villeneuve coveted so much will be welcomed by racing enthusiasts worldwide.
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