Jacques Villeneuve has launched a surprising attack on Lewis Hamilton, comparing the Briton to Villeneuve’s former F1 nemesis Michael Schumacher.
Referring to Hamilton’s starts he said:
“When will these chopping moves stop? Lewis is not getting penalised for these things and his behaviour off the start line has started to look the way Michael Schumacher used to. So far, he has been lucky, so we’ll see if it carries on. He makes progressive moves that would have got some of the other drivers black-flagged.
I’d be the first to say that F1 is poorer for losing outspoken drivers like ’97 champ Villeneuve, but I think he’s well wide of the mark on this one.
Hamilton made excellent attacking starts in Melbourne and Sepang, picking up places when there didn’t seem to be any available. At Bahrain and Monte-Carlo he defended his position at the start but I never for once second thought there was anything unusual about his defence.
Schumacher famously was never penalised for a serier of start line ‘chops’ that riled his rivals like Villeneuve and David Coulthard. But when one driver does something and gets away with in, smart drivers realise it’s fair game and add the move to their arsenal.
That said, nothing Hamilton has done so far reminds me of Schumacher’s tactics in any way. He’s not pulled the kind of stunt Schumacher turned on brother Ralf at the start of the 2001 European race, for example.
Perhaps Villeneuve’s just sore that he doesn’t get to race in his home Grand Prix this year.
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Tags: f1 / formula one / formula 1 / grand prix / motor sport
Clive
6th June 2007, 15:09
Oh, ya gotta love him. Jacques certainly knows how to stay in the limelight, doesn’t he…? ;)
milos
6th June 2007, 15:23
vintage Jacques Villeneuve :-)
Haplo
6th June 2007, 15:33
He’s talking his usual bollocks.
Massimo Valz Gris
6th June 2007, 15:36
J.V. has always been a j#*§k and will always be. By the way he raced for mere 2 seasons and and toured throughout the rest of his less than mediocre carrer.
Nobody I guess is really missing him nor his big mouth.
F1 Voice
6th June 2007, 17:01
I miss Villeneuve, he was just starting to blossom again with BMW Sauber. That said, I agree that is off the mark with these comments. It’s not as if we have had any complaints from the Ferrari’s yet. And if anyone was going to start complaining it would be them.
Journeyer
6th June 2007, 17:15
But I say, if you can’t say anything good, don’t say anything at all.
Nikos Darzentas
6th June 2007, 18:41
the evil Schumacher again! nothing wrong with Hamilton’s driving btw, on the contrary…
Alianora La Canta
6th June 2007, 22:47
Hamilton’s starting procedure is fine, and not as bad as Michael Schumacher’s (which, I thought was just this side of OK, sometimes teetering over the edge). Jacques Villnueve should stick to critiquing stuff he knows about – for instance, he did all right in the F1 Racing season preview – but this time he’s not really got cause to complain.
will
7th June 2007, 4:32
Jacques can talk when he’s not struggling to get into NASCAR.
Nathan Jones
7th June 2007, 9:23
Jacques has a short memory!
Suzuka ’97 start anyone?
Journeyer
8th June 2007, 7:50
Well… Jacques is craving for the attention again. That’s what I’ve noticed. If you noticed, he was much more reserved when he was with Williams, but as he slipped away from the front of the grid, his mouth started to open more.
What more that he isn’t in the sport anymore? Again, if you can’t say anything good, don’t say anything at all.
tokin
9th June 2007, 10:08
maybe Jacques sees something we dont, i soppose he knows more about racing then we do, and though he is out spoken i’ve always thought his oppinions were honest