Ralf on Jacques

[nojvnof1 0]

this is from tsn.ca

"Ralf Schumacher says he'd be very surprised if Jacques Villeneuve returned to race with Williams next season.

"I remember days when Frank Williams and (technical director) Patrick Head would blame him for anything and everything and hated him and wanted to fire him and said he was useless and everything," Ralf told reporters in Monaco.

"In the last couple of years of his Formula One career he didn't look so strong any more," Ralf added, alluding to Villeneuve's five year struggle at BAR-Honda. "But maybe that all changed."

Speculation has surrounded Schumacher's future with Williams with a number of reports indicating he has already agreed to join Toyota next season. Teammat Juan Pablo Montoya has already signed to join McLaren in 2005.

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"There's one driver definitely going, the other might go or not," said the German regarding his stalled contract talks with the team.

"So you have to look at all the options again and obviously Jacques is one of them."

"If he comes back next year to Williams, great. He'll be a nice team mate - if I'm still here."

David Coulthard, who is likely to give way to Montoya at McLaren, has also been mentioned as a possible replacement at Williams. The Scotsman, who is good friends with Villeneuve, says the sport definitely needs people like him.

"I think it would be interesting for the sport for (Villeneuve) to be back if he was able to find a spot," he said. "He expresses his views without always giving full consideration to the consequences of how that may endear him to the team and sponsors and all the rest of it."

"He is also entertaining," mused Coulthard. "If you tell him that a corner is almost flat then he is the guy who is going to try to take it flat, even if it means shunting it the other side of it. He will come with the data and say 'hey, I may have crashed and destroyed the car, but I was flat-out'. That is an interesting quality that he has."

Olivier Panis, who partnered with Villeneuve for two years at BAR-Honda, says he never had a problem with the former world champion.

"One of Jacques' qualities is that he respects people who are working really hard and this is what I did for two years with BAR, and we still have a good relationship," said the veteran F1 driver. "If he's coming back, then welcome again, because I'm sure he's still quick, still motivated but now he also needs to find a good place to prove that he's still good."

Firstly, good to see DC and Olivier sticking up for Jacques, especially at a time when both are most likely looking for drives, in particular DC, who is a contender for the Williams seat, so well done to them.

Now for Ralf, that part I have highlighted in bold just made me laugh, seriously, what has he been smoking. FACT is that Williams tried to keep JV for the season 99 and beyond, they tried again after the 99 season, and tried yet again for the 2001 season, and now they've admitted he's on the shortlist for the drive. I think Ralf has just explained the situation HE is in and just put Jacques name instead of his. He can't have been that bad if they tried to sign him over and over again. Williams problems lied in the fact they lost factory support from Renault and lost Adrian Newey. If JV is useless for winning a title and 11 races, then what is Ralf with 5 or so wins a no titles!! What a tool, maybe he knows something we don't :wink:

[Sato 0]

I voted before reading

[nojvnof1 0]

I dont think you'll be alone there

[Senna 0]

If that is apparently what Williams think of a driver who was on pole for his debut and won the title in his second year at Williams, just imagine what they think of Ralf Schumacher

[Taku 0]

I voted before reading  

me too!

in fact you didn't even need to have a story there, everyone's vote would be the same, but the poll actually does have basis. that is just ridiculous what he said..

[Taku 0]

add to this apparentlay ralf has been pushing hard for a veto clause in hi contract over future teammates! from gp2004:

Ralf trying to kill Coulthard

[webber 0]

R$ is a spult munt. he just does not wont DC there at toyota because he knows that DC will wast him. man im hating R$ more by the second

[nojvnof1 0]

add to this apparentlay ralf has been pushing hard for a veto clause in hi contract over future teammates!  from gp2004:

Ralf trying to kill Coulthard

[nojvnof1 0]

here's this from f1central.net

"Paddock talk in the Monaco pitlane agrees that the BMW-Williams star is just a few days away from being confirmed as Toyota's new long-term Formula One driver.

One source said the announcement will 'happen at the Nurburgring.'

That's the scene of the European Grand Prix, set to kick-off with opening practice just four days after a winner is crowned in Sunday's Monaco event.

Nurburgring is the closest F1 venue to Toyota's HQ in Cologne"

OK, odds for FW paying off RS and JV coming back for Canada??