JV driving for Renault for the rest of the year?

[Snowman]

Well Trulli has been dropped from the Ranault Team for the rest of the year. he hasnt scored a point in the last 5 races and it seems his spat with Briatori has reached breaking point.

So the talk is he will be replaced by Jaques Villeneuve! He's now doing a 3 day test at Silverstone to see if he will get the drive!

Man this has been a crazy season - all except for the championships.

[Laurence]

Hmmm Villeneuve... Sort of like getting Kochinski in your MotoGP team.

He is fast but will probably piss everyone off.

What is next!? Damon Hill to partner Webber!

Have they sorted out Button yet?

[wannabe]

It is a sad day when the off track rumours/occurences are far more exciting than the races. Although sunday was pretty good even if it did end up the same bloody 1-2. I say bring on JV, a little more fire in the paddock is all good...

[Laurence]

http://f1.racing-live.com/en/headlines/new...915143003.shtml

Sauber it is!

[Roy]

Wooo hooo, JV back in F1. I think its great, especially if Ferrari keep giving them good reliabel engines etc etc.

[Laurence]

Is this just a stepping stone for JV into Ferrari????

[Roy]

Like father like son...that would be interesting battle of the egos, get rid of Rubens, put him back in Ford/Jaguar whatever they are calling themselves next year and lets spice it aup a little between team mates on the track. Thinks back to Senna/Prost McLaren days

[wannabe]

I certainly hope that Sauber remains competetive next year as JV in an F1 car that is there and there abouts is good to watch. Next season has some promise of more competition on the track. Fingers crossed eh!

[relicr31act]

I don't know about all this? Have I been watching the same races you guys have been? JV is nothing special!!! He took the money extorted from BAR by his mate/manager for what? He won't do anything special at Sauber either. He won a world championship in a car that ANYONE would have won in!!! His only real value is that sometimes he SAYS something that is a little "controversial" which in F1 means saying something that isn't complete boring crap!!! I am going to enjoy watching Webber make him and many supposed "stars" looking very ****ing ordinary next year. Go the boy from Queanbeyan!!!!!!

[REPRAZENT]

I agree that JV isn't anything that is OVERLY special - He p*ssed off alot of ppl with some of the comments he has made previously, but on the up side, you need controversial ppl - it makes things a bit more exciting.

"He won a world championship in a car that ANYONE would have won in!!! "

Give the guy cred for even getting to F1. Not everyone that has the talent makes it, & not every one that has an open bank account makes it. Which ever way you make it (talent or $$$$) into a top team, in any division, it takes some sort of talent to win.... cars don't haul their own butts around race tracks.

[Duncan]

Isn't it amazing the number of driver changes this year.

Looks like everyone knows the championship is out of reach so its worth giving someone else a go. I know 2 of the williams replacements are from RS's crash, but it just seems like no-one is driving the car they started the year with...

[Roy]

How can you say that JV is nothing special. He dominated Indy (a much or even playing field), joined the F1 circus and won the Championship. Benneton were at their heights and winning races and championships, the guy is a great driver.

Whilst BAR never showed much promise in his time there, you cant blame JV for that. Their recent performance can be attributed to Richards taking over the team and over the next 12 months getting the team working, and Richards openly commented he didnt like paying the money they were to JV.

So im a fan , but not a huge fan. I still think of all the drivers in F1 he is about the only one who has the measure of MS when in similar equipment. There are a few other drivers at the moment who have similar equipm on a given weekend but cant race MS

[skyzerr33]

will be interesting to see how he goes in the last 3 races.

he was 3rd fastest at the Silverston tests and only a 10th off being fastest.

the driver situation does leave some questions though. Will Trulli be racing in China or just testing with the Toyota team that he has now joined?

Renault and Sauber are easy they just swap drivers for next season (JV - Fisachella)

Trulli and Ralf S at Toyota next year has wrecked Briscoes chances as Toyota are keeping Zonta as the main test driver and Paniis who is reportedly retiring will be the 2nd choice test driver. Briscoe will remain contracted but he best chance for a drive is with Jordan via an engine deal with Toyota or to gets lots of cash and end up in the crappy Minardi.

[relicr31act]

Well I think you can blame JV for BAR not performing actually. In his last year with them they were forced to pay him $US30M!!! You can't tell me that would help them develop the cars? It's common knowledge that he can't develop a car so he will definitely struggle witht the Sauber. As for being the only one to give MS a run, when was that? 1997? I think Montoya passing MS round the outside at Spa proves that there are other ppl capable of taking it up to Shuweave. The only thing that surprised me about that move was that MS didn't take him out!! Wait till next year when a blue and white car with a yellow blue and red helmet is out there, then we will see how good MS really is!!!

[Roy]

Well I think you can blame JV for BAR not performing actually. In his last year with them they were forced to pay him $US30M!!! You can't tell me that would help them develop the cars? It's common knowledge that he can't develop a car so he will definitely struggle witht the Sauber. As for being the only one to give MS a run' date=' when was that? 1997? I think Montoya passing MS round the outside at Spa proves that there are other ppl capable of taking it up to Shuweave. The only thing that surprised me about that move was that MS didn't take him out!! Wait till next year when a blue and white car with a yellow blue and red helmet is out there, then we will see how good MS really is!!![/quote']

Common knowledge that he cant develop a car? Is it, i never heard that before, bit i only have a casual interest so dont know all the goss, but i dont think thats feeling is too common

LOL, you wont change my mind, do you think teams are idiots? Was it US$30mil, if so then they were the ones paying it, goes to show where they think JV sits in the driver pool. Anyway i could be wrong, we will see how he goes at Renault/Sauber.

[Snowman]

I'm looking forwards to this coming race to see how he goes. There'sno doubt the Renault is a good car and JV is a racer. Might make for some interesting action.

Good ol Bernie has thrown a whole new interesting cat into the mix now. For those that don't know Jaguar and Ford will not be racing in any capacity next year. The Cosworth factory is up for sale. Minardi and Jordan don't have engines as yet.

Basically Bernie has said he's happy with this and to get numbers back up to or above 20 cars he has provisions set up to allow the top teams to run 3 cars next year. So this means MS might have a new team mate next year! The idea of say Ferrari, McLaren, Williams and Renault all with 3 cars sounds great to me! I think its something Bernie wants to make F1 more interesting at the front. His quote:

“There are provisions for the teams to run three cars and that would perhaps give us 20 competitive cars on the grid next season. I would rather see three Ferraris, McLarens or Williams running at the front than a Jaguar fighting it out with Jordan and Minardi."

As much as it saddness me to say it I probably agree with him.

[Duncan]

correct, the concorde agreement requires every team to field a 3rd car if there are less than 20 starters.

Pretty poor comment on the top form of motorsport if there are only 7 teams competing, and 2 of them (minardi, jordan) only just......

[relicr31act]

What is common knowledge is that JV was paid $30m because his manager and good mate who just happened to be running BAR at the time negotiated the ridiculous salary knowing that he was about to be turfed out the door!! He got twenty percent (nice work if you can get it)!!. Richards tried to renegotiate the deal saying that if he was forced to pay him the equivalent of four Montoya salaries he would not have a drive the following year. JV called his bluff and lost!! I bet Peter Sauber isn't paying him much next year.

[relicr31act]

Shanghai qualifying J Villeneuve 13th teammate 6th Webber 12th with a little mistake!! The only thing great about Villeneuve junior is his father and his mouth!!!

[Duncan]

hahha yeah roy how did your mate JV go today? hahahahahahaha