[karthik247]

s he contemplates his likely exit from Formula 1, Jacques Villeneuve has taken the opportunity to slam his former nemesis Michael Schumacher, accusing him of “dirty tricks” and “lying to the fans”.

In a no-holds-barred interview for F1 Racing, the 1997 world champion said that Schumacher will never attain cult hero status like other champions because of his on-track antics down the years.

And JV, who now faces walking away from F1 for good following his acrimonious falling out with BMW, couldn’t resist one final dig.

"I think the day he hangs up his helmet people will just forget him,” said the Canadian.

"Ayrton Senna, by contrast, will never be forgotten.

“Some of that is the James Dean factor, of course, because he was killed in action at a young age, but not all of it.

“I don't even think Michael will live on in people's memories as strong or as long as [Alain] Prost has - certainly not as strong or as long as [Nigel] Mansell has. Those people attained a hero status that Michael never has and never will."

“Michael simply isn't a great champion because he's played too many dirty tricks and because he isn't a great human being.”

Villeneuve added that while Senna also famously crashed into Prost to take the title in Japan in 1990, it didn’t compare to Schumacher’s move on him at Jerez in 1997.

"Yes, Senna played dirty tricks too but he did it with more class, more integrity. When he took Prost out at Suzuka, he said he was going to do it before the race.

"So, unlike Michael, who ridiculously insisted he was innocent at Monaco this year, Senna said, 'Yes, I did it. But I told you before the race that I was going to do it.'

“That's very different from what Michael did at Monaco and Jerez [in 1997] and Adelaide [in 1994].”

Villeneuve reckons that Schumacher’s most recent misdemeanour, where he was punished for avoidably stopping his car on-track during qualifying at Monaco, is just another example of why the seven-times champion’s reputation is indelibly stained.

"Senna wasn't lying to the fans. Michael was," he said.

“And the sad thing is that, of course, the fans accept it - they swear black is white, in fact - just so that they can go on respecting the sport they love. And Michael takes advantage of that loyalty."

"But he lies not only to fans but to his fellow drivers, too," he continued.

"At the GPDA meeting at Silverstone he lied to us [about his qualifying incident at Monaco] and he didn't even have the decency to appear embarrassed about it.

“He just stared in our eyes and lied. And we all knew we were being lied to but very few of us bothered to say anything [Villeneuve, Alex Wurz and Pedro de la Rosa were the only ones who did] because most are scared of Michael or just wanted the meeting to be over so that they could go and watch the World Cup, which was a pathetic way to behave when there was such an important matter under discussion.

"It's quite sad, really - because the reason Michael did what he did is that he thinks he's better than the rest of us.

“He thinks he's bigger than the sport, too, but he isn't. And when he retires, and no one really remembers him, that will become clear."


Source - www.itv-f1.com

[ess_a]

Well JV surely knows how to throw out his frustration.... If he cudnt achieve what schumi has, he was better off keeping his mouth shut and silently walk away. I guess before lashing out at any1 else he should first look at his own driving style.... I'm sure he learnt his driving tricks from the gurgaon call centre cab drivers!!!! Almost every race he was trying to put some scratches on some other guys car....
No one can deny the fact that MS is one of the greatest, if not THE greatest driver in F1 history.... almost every record in F1 belongs to this guy... C'mon JV grow up.......

[aZa]

Originally Posted by ess_a

I'm sure he learnt his driving tricks from the gurgaon call centre cab drivers!!!! Almost every race he was trying to put some scratches on some other guys car....
No one can deny the fact that MS is one of the greatest, if not THE greatest driver in F1 history....

EXACTLY !!! Nobody wud remember JV but schmuck, whether u like him or not, is a legend.

[amitverma]

talk about a bad loser....
after losing his drive at BMW, all he did in his spare time sitting at his home was to take a cheapshot at MS. i would also like to goto the extent of saying that he didnt even deserve to be in F1. there is much better talent out there who can simply outclass JV. all he did was slide the car around corners.
MS has time and again proven that given a competetive car, he can still win races. If it wasnt for Bridgestone's lack-lusture performance, or Heidfeld's over-excitement, MS would have closed in on Alonso bigtime.
Michael doesnt deserve to be treated this way. this month's Autocar also carries the same topic of how Michael cheated in Monaco. Give the guy a break. If he did cheat, he was penalised. End of story.
if anything, i extremely loved the way he did it all. it was awesome. but the damn scrutineers at FIA caught it.

Formula 1 is all about tactics...and hell, Michaerl sure does know how to play 'em.

[khaadu75]

Well , Villenueve wasn't on my fav's list but after reading this he has jumped into that list --- Atleast someone spoke out against the ' SUPER ARROGANT ' *** !! He's perfectly right in the part about Senna, Prost, Mansell ... they are the Real icons ... not schumi , unless cheaters wanna be worshipped !!

Time for the schumi gang to blast away on their keyboards .. lol !!

Originally Posted by amitverma

Michael doesnt deserve to be treated this way. this month's Autocar also carries the same topic of how Michael cheated in Monaco. Give the guy a break. If he did cheat, he was penalised. End of story.

You forgetting that A CHEAT will always be a CHEAT ... penalised or not !!

Originally Posted by ess a

I'm sure he learnt his driving tricks from the gurgaon call centre cab drivers!!!!

Are you sure it aint the other way round ... Call centres popped up way after he did -- so Im sure if you check ur facts u'll suddenly realise it was the other way round !!!

Cheers

[karthik247]

JV is just being frustrated cuz hez been dumped by F1 and still he talks as if hes a great driver or sumtin. Too bad nobody wants him in the team and its time for him to hang up his boots and walk away. Surprised he doesn't realize whos the 'real loser' here

[condor]

JV echoes my thoughts most of the way - about Mansell, Prost & Senna - and Schum.. . But I feel MS will be remembered - but not for things he should & could have been remembered for. Unfortunately, a few records will remain in his name.

F1 isnt a team sport - the points are given to the driver. The championship goes to the driver, not the team. Ten teams played it by one set of rules. Ferrari and MS - played it their way. When over taking one car is difficult, overtaking a car who's driver's sole purpose is to not allow anyone to overtake him - and then overtaking another car is naturally next to impossible. In a situation like this, its is no wonder that MS got the number of wins he did.

For those of you who want to say that a win is a win, and it is fair to use any rule in the book to win - I say that this rule was outside the book. If it was in the book [of F1 racing rules & regulations], then 10 more teams would have done it. Heck - they should have. MS would then have been wearing his true colors.

About JV being a bad loser and letting out his frustrations - well, if I was in JV's shoes, I too would have felt frustrated. Think of the recent changes that being tried out to make F1 intresting - they wouldnt even have been necessary if Ferrari & MS had not played they way they did. Evolution of the rules and the game is another thing.

Yes, MS doesnt deserve to be treated this way - the way he is being treated by many today. Irrespective of how good drivers like JV were - MS was never a great, and never will be.

[khaadu75]

Originally Posted by condor

JV echoes my thoughts most of the way - about Mansell, Prost & Senna - and Schum.. . But I feel MS will be remembered - but not for things he should & could have been remembered for. Unfortunately, a few records will remain in his name.

F1 isnt a team sport - the points are given to the driver. The championship goes to the driver, not the team. Ten teams played it by one set of rules. Ferrari and MS - played it their way. When over taking one car is difficult, overtaking a car who's driver's sole purpose is to not allow anyone to overtake him - and then overtaking another car is naturally next to impossible. In a situation like this, its is no wonder that MS got the number of wins he did.

For those of you who want to say that a win is a win, and it is fair to use any rule in the book to win - I say that this rule was outside the book. If it was in the book [of F1 racing rules & regulations], then 10 more teams would have done it. Heck - they should have. MS would then have been wearing his true colors.

About JV being a bad loser and letting out his frustrations - well, if I was in JV's shoes, I too would have felt frustrated. Think of the recent changes that being tried out to make F1 intresting - they wouldnt even have been necessary if Ferrari & MS had not played they way they did. Evolution of the rules and the game is another thing.

Yes, MS doesnt deserve to be treated this way - the way he is being treated by many today. Irrespective of how good drivers like JV were - MS was never a great, and never will be.

Well said .... And yes the greats were drivers like the ones JV mentioned !!! There is no doubt about that ...

[Deeps]

Although JV's comments do sound like "Sour grapes", he is absolutely spot on about the Monaco incident and the other champions. Even in the press conference the *******'s facial expressions said it all. That incident yet again prooved his desperation as well as the team's (there's no way the stunt could have been carried out without the involvement of toad and brawn). In addition he also prooved that his status as a cheater is not accidental. But its amazing how his fans simply adopted the attitude of "Lets move on" giving idiotic reasons such as: he has won so many championships, so many races, is a fighter....and other such crap.

[GTO]

"I think the day he hangs up his helmet people will just forget him,” said the Canadian.

"Ayrton Senna, by contrast, will never be forgotten.

Hahaha - JV wishes. No one will ever forget M Schumacher and I doubt anyone will ever break his records.

Buttttttttttt Senna died on the track racing. And that sort of an exit will always be more remembered than a custom retirement.

[ess_a]

Originally Posted by khaadu75

Are you sure it aint the other way round ... Call centres popped up way after he did -- so Im sure if you check ur facts u'll suddenly realise it was the other way round !!!

Cheers

Hey dude my facts perfectly in order.... JV started driving the way he does now, only at the turn of the century.... same time when these call centres were setting up their shops!!!! So he is the SHISHYA not the GURU!!!
Any ways one thing i have observed is that there are too many people jealous of MS... Cmon guys, he is the greatest ever... People only crib because they are not even close... their desperation is ever evident in such kind of statements they make.... what makes me wonder that there are so many anti MS fans who actually are not even sure of the reason as to why they hate the champ....

[prince85]

Originally Posted by condor

F1 isnt a team sport - the points are given to the driver. The championship goes to the driver, not the team..

Really?????? . What is a perfectly good driver without a team that can provide him a good enough car to win races????

Coming to the championship, what about the constructors championship????? Its goes for the entire team i guess, and not just for the drivers

[prince85]

Originally Posted by GTO

Hahaha - JV wishes. No one will ever forget M Schumacher and I doubt anyone will ever break his records.
.

Soo true GTO, i second that without a shadow of a doubt

[Shan2nu]

Forget JV, heres' a statement Jackie Stewart made about MS during a 5th Gear interview last year.

"Michael Schumacher, makes more mistakes every gran prix weekend than any gran prix multiple world champion i've ever known"

And i kinda agree with him, but i don't blame MS for it. Driving an F1 car has bcome too bloody easy compared to the old days.

I've always wondered, why do F1 cars need TC? Aren't race drivers trained professionals who are supposed to know how to handle a 900+bhp car?

And even so, when the going gets wet, these guys still manage to spin the cars.

Shan2nu

[condor]

Originally Posted by GTO

I doubt anyone will ever break his records.

Unfortunately.

Originally Posted by prince85

What is a perfectly good driver without a team that can provide him a good enough car to win races?

Yes, true. And MS was so good that he needed a RB to protect his ***. MS couldnt, and could never have done it on his own. And in Schumi's case, Ferrari gave MS more than just a good car!

Originally Posted by prince85

what about the constructors championship

The constructor's title is important, but secondary.