Villeneuve: « Why share technical data? »

Jacques Villeneuve is speaking a lot these days in the media. It can be said that he has launched a campaign to secure a spot in the 2010 Formula 1 World Championship. “I am a driver, and I always will be. That’s why I can see myself well in Formula 1,” Villeneuve stated in an automotive magazine. “With the ban on testing between races since this season, we experienced drivers are useful. I can’t say what will happen, but I will try,” he explained.

In my opinion, cars today are more enjoyable to drive, and they will be even more so next year. They will be more fun to drive, especially because refueling will be banned. We will see them slide more, without electronic assistance. The show will be of better quality. The human factor will count more, as it used to be. The work is more like what I remember, the Quebecer said.

When I left F1, it was no longer fun. Or rather, driving was still fun, but the atmosphere around it was bad. You spent half an hour with your race engineer, after which a computer prepared your settings. And they told you: “Shut up and drive.” That’s kind of how I see it. I’m the kind of person who always speaks his mind out loud, but in the end, everything became very difficult, he commented.

The Canadian became world champion in 1997 by defeating Michael Schumacher in the most controversial yet thrilling finale of a Formula 1 season. Jacques Villeneuve was one point behind Michael Schumacher, a double world champion at the time, at the start of the season’s last race in Jerez. The German had led the race from the start, closely followed by Jacques Villeneuve. On the 47th lap, when the Canadian attempted an overtaking maneuver, Michael Schumacher shut the door on him as they were already side by side. Both cars collided, forcing Michael Schumacher to retire, but Jacques Villeneuve was able to finish the race. Taking no risks with his damaged car, he allowed the two McLarens of Hakkinen and Coulthard to pass, and finished in third place.

In an interview for the Daily Mirror, he states that Jenson Button should continue to drive like a gentleman if he wants to LOSE the drivers’ championship. He also advises his teammate at Brawn GP, but nevertheless rival for the title, Rubens Barrichello, to seize every opportunity that arises and to try everything until the end.

While Ross Brawn, the boss of Brawn GP, has enforced a regime of sharing technical information among his drivers, Villeneuve believes that they have too much at stake to strictly adhere to the team’s rules. “Any driver winning the championship is a hero, the other is a loser,” Villeneuve says. “No one remembers the one who loses. What are you going to do in this situation? Help your teammate? Of course not. Early in the season, I don’t deny that the team needs this. But in the final races, when it would be terrible for someone else to win the championship, it clearly becomes a battle.”

He also tells Button that the title won’t be won in Japan, Brazil, or even Abu Dhabi, but in his own mind. He adds: “You have to believe in yourself. If you don’t believe, it won’t happen. You have to stay strong in your mind.” But he thinks that a degree of trickery is essential to the result, since the difference between the winner and the loser is slight. He said: “Engineers and drivers must keep certain information to themselves. You can’t go to the other driver and tell them how to be faster. They can look at the data; you can’t lie with that, but you don’t have to say what’s in your head.”

Villeneuve has a unique perspective because he was not only Button’s teammate, but Jock Clear, Barrichello’s engineer, played the same role for Villeneuve when he won his title in 1997. When asked about the rumors that Andy Shovlin, Jenson Button’s track engineer, is complaining about Jock Clear, Rubens Barrichello’s engineer, not cooperating, he dismisses the question: «If you think you can do something better than the other guy, why should you tell him? Frankly, I see nothing wrong with an engineer not sharing his information with another. These are two drivers and two engineers trying to be the best in the world.»