Jacques villeneuve

[Fax]

I can open a subject that sometimes provokes heated debate, at least it does between Andy and I.  While at Mid-Ohio for the IMSA weekend in 1990, I was wandering around the paddock and bumped into JP Jabouille checking out one of the AAR Toyota Eagles.  I mentioned how I was a great fan of the generation of French F1 drivers he was a part of of.  I asked him what he thought of Didier Pironi and he slightly stunned me when he said he thought Didier was the best of the lot, better even than Prost.  Said had he not been hurt at Hockenheim he would probably have dominated F1 in the eighties.
Fax

[termietermite]

Yeah, unlikely AZ will be complimentary about 2 frogs on one post!

[Chris24]

Villeneuve in Nascar, watch this space ! Yes i know its rumoured that he wants to do it, but last week I was waiting at Atlanta airport for a delayed flight to Charlotte. The flight was delayed for 3 hours, and who was sat next to me at the gate, but non other than Craig Pollock. We sat chatting about racing for about an hour.

I know for a fact that he had flown from Monaco all the way to Charlotte for a 1 day trip for a business meeting the next day.

He wouldn't confirm or deny that it was about JV, but did say he was meeting "New Friends".

And we all know Charlotte is Nascar capital as far as were the teams are mostly based.

PS- Delta also his his luggage as well as mine. Not good at 1.30 am in the morning having only a camera with you for the first night in a hotel and its pissing down buckets with rain.

[Andy Zarse]

Yeah, unlikely AZ will be complimentary about 2 frogs on one post!

Gilles, and indeed Jaques Villeneuve were/are French Canadians. Does that count?  you are bang on the button though. I never really forgave Didier for what he did to my beloved Gilles. I'm not saying he actually caused the crash, but he certainly knew which buttons to push on Gilles, unfortunately he pushed the one marked self-destruct.

[Fax]

Andy, I think she may have been referring to Prost as the other Frenchman.  JV jr. is about as Canadian as I am. I don't think he's lived in Canada since he was about five.  I've always felt Gilles, not Pironi, put Gilles in the grave. A good many drivers said in the aftermath of his death that they were sad about his accident, but they could see it coming for a while.  The guy just didn't know the meaning of the word lift.  He was on his pit in lap when he crashed.  I've always blamed the Ferrari managment for what happened at Imola, not the drivers invloved.  Mauro Forghieri has always said he wished he'd been there to handle the situation, he was away for personal reasons and the team made a mess of the pit signals that led to the confusion.
Fax

[termietermite]

Yeah Fax, that was what I meant.  JV French,  ma derriere!