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Biography

Jacques passes his adolescence to the college Beautiful-Sun of Villars-on-Ollon (Suisse). It is there that Jacques become acquainted with Craig Pollock, a Scot professor of physical education and ski which it will find by chance a few years later in Japan and who will become his manager and friend.

1989-1995: first years

Jacques carries out his beginnings in automobile sport in Italy in 1989, within the framework of the Cut Esparto. Then, it disputes during two seasons the championship of Italy of Formule 3. In 1992, it is exiled in Japan, where it takes part in the local championship of Formula 3, before returning to North America to dispute the Atlantic championship of Formule, discipline where his/her father and his uncle were particularly illustrated. It is there that its career takes off truly. At the conclusion of a single season marked by 5 victories, and thanks to the support of the cigarettier Player' S, Jacques Villeneuve reaches the series CART.

This first season in CART is rewarded for the honorary title for better beginning from the year as well as first victory, in Elkhart Lake (where his/her uncle had signed his single victory in CART, 9 years earlier). In 1995, it goes even higher: over famous the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, it gains the 500 Miles of Indianapolis then allocates the championship at the end of the year.

1996-1998: victorious arrival Formulates 1 of them

At the beginning of the season 1995, the name of Villeneuve returns to the ears of the leaders of F1. Jacques Villeneuve thus starts to tie several contacts, contacts which lead during the summer to a test with the stable Williams - Renault. The test is sufficiently convincing so that Villeneuve is seen offering a wheel of holder for the season 1996. The season 1996 starts with a clap of thunder since Villeneuve takes down the pole position of its very first GP, with Melbourne in Australia. Before him, only Carlos Reutemann and Mario Andretti had made a success of such an exploit. In race, Villeneuve manages to hold the high dragee with its team-member Damon Hill on Williams before having to incline itself for the arrival because of an oil escape. Villeneuve gains its first GP a few weeks later in Nurburgring within the framework of GP of Europe, after having known to resist in end of the road the attacks of Michael Schumacher. The continuation of the season is more delicate for Villeneuve which in spite of three other victories undergoes regularly the law of Damon Hill, more tested. Villeneuve approaches however the ultimate GP of the season with a small mathematical chance to be titrated (with 9 points of delay, it is necessary for him to gain and hope for an abandonment of Hill). In position to never worry Hill after a missed departure, Villeneuve gives up finally after the loss of a wheel.

In 1997, Villeneuve takes its revenge. In spite of a dominating car, it makes several errors and must await the ultimate GP of the season with Jerez to cap the world crown. This ultimate GP is marked by the duel epic between Jacques Villeneuve and Michael Schumacher. Less better party than its German adversary which also precedes it point with the championship, Villeneuve launches out in a long track race before placing an attack surprised on Ferrari of Schumacher, which vainly tries to hang Williams of the Inhabitant of Quebec. Villeneuve does not have any more whereas to let itself slip until the third place to make sure of the world title.

In 1998, Williams having lost the official support of Renault, Villeneuve is not able to make honor with its title, and must be satisfied with some places of honor.

1999-2003: the failure of the BAR project

Villeneuve then decides to give a new orientation to its career while leaving to join the very new stable British American Racing, Co-founded by his/her friend and to manage Craig Pollock. But in spite of important means, the stable BAR will be never with the height of its ambitions of origin, and Villeneuve will never manage to fight for the victory. In 1999, on the Bar-Supertec, it does not register the least point. As from 2000, reinforced by a partnership signed with the Japanese motor mechanic Honda, the BAR progress in the hierarchy and Villeneuve carries out two seasons (2000 and 2001) honourable, punctuated of some opportunist podiums.

But fine 2001, the dismissal of Craig Pollock and its replacement by David Richards weaken the position of Villeneuve within the stable. And while the level of Bar-Honda sets out again with the fall, its performances considered to be insufficient taking into account its wages are regularly shown finger by the new director of the stable. The day before the last GP of the season 2003, at the conclusion one dull season, disturbed by the internal conflicts, and during which it was regularly dominated by its team-member Jenson Button, Villeneuve is dismissed by Richards.

2004-2006: sabbatical year and return in F1

Without wheel for the season 2004, Villeneuve prefers to observe one sabbatical year, attentive with possible opportunities in F1, rather than to engage in another discipline. A paying choice since it is called at the end of the season by the stable Renault F1 TEAM to replace Jarno Trulli at the time of the three last races of the year. This experiment will be a failure, Villeneuve being unable to place Renault in the points lasting these three races. At the same time, he announces his engagement for the season 2005 with the stable Sauber - Petronas.

In 2005, quickly put in difficulty by its young team-member Felipe Massa, Villeneuve manages to hoist its performance level with the wire of the season, which enables him to preserve its wheel for the season 2006 within the stable from now on called BMW Sauber, after its repurchase by the Bavarian manufacturer. It is advisable however to note that in spite of the contract of which he prevailed himself, Villeneuve has to wait a certain time so that BMW Sauber confirms its presence, signs limited confidence which he enjoys near his new employer.

A good start of season 2006 during which he manages to make more or less good match with his team-member Nick Heidfeld seems to reinforce its position within the team. But gradually, it is caught up with by criticisms, bound in particular to the performances of the pilot tester Robert Kubica, considered to be higher than those of the titular pilots by his team. With two days later of GP of Germany (during which it clung with its team-member at the beginning, before only leaving to the fault several turns later and typing the wall of tires violently), it announces with its employer that because of consecutive physical pains to his accident, it is not able to dispute the following test, in Hungary. BMW Sauber calls upon Robert Kubica then. But what should not be that a simple interim quickly seems a true setting with the test of the young Polish pilot, in the sight of a possible replacement of Villeneuve until the end of the season. On Monday, August 7, 2006, the shortly after the GP of Hungary (marked by convincing beginnings of Kubica), the stable BMW Sauber confirms the final setting well off Villeneuve by publishing an official statement in which she announces to have found an agreement with the Québécois pilot to put a term anticipated at her contract.

After F1

Without wheel 1 Formulates some, it engaged with the French manufacturer Peugeot to take part into 2007 in the 24 hours of Mans in the wheel of the prototype Peugeot 908. As a crew with Nicolas Minassian and Constrained Marc, it occupied the second place with less than two hours of the arrival before being constrained with the abandonment on driving break-in. It expressed its desire to return in the Sarthe in 2008, which in the event of victory would enable him to join in the history the British Graham Hill, only pilot to date to have gained the " Couronne" triple;, i.e. the championship of the world of F1, Indy 500 and Mans.

A second participation in Mans of Villeneuve remains mainly conditioned by a possible program in NASCAR, discipline which it tries to reach since the end of its career in F1. At the end of 2006, the media thus gave a report on contacts between the Québécois pilot and the stable Roush Racing for a possible engagement in the championship Busch Series (the second division of the NASCAR) which will make for the first time stage in 2007 on the layout Gilles Villeneuve of Montreal. This engagement not having took place, Villeneuve finally began in September 2007 with the team Bill Davis Racing in Craftsman Truck Series (the third division of the NASCAR) with in sight a complete program in Nextel Cup (the elite of the NASCAR) in 2008 with a car Toyota and the 27, the mythical number of Villeneuve in race car. Villeneuve impressed so much under tests private and race of Trucks which the federation of the NASCAR authorizes Villeneuve to run on October 7th, 2007 on the famous oval of Talladega in Nextel Cup whereas it did not even make its classes. For its first race in Nextel Cup, it finishes this race with the 21e place, which places it at the 61e row of general classification with 100 points. In its last race of the year in Craftsman Truck Series mid-November 2007, Villeneuve marks its first points of leader in series NASCAR after being qualified in third position. As of on February 17th, 2008 it will be the great jump in Cup for the Daytona 500 first race of the season.

Others

Jacques Villeneuve married the May 29th 2006 with Aigle, in Suisse with Johanna Martinez and they had their first child, Jules, the November 14th.
the June 26th 2006, Jacques Villeneuve launched a " single" heading: would you Accept? which will be worth to him some mockeries of Michael Schumacher. The February 19th 2007, it left its first album: Private Paradise . In its coffee Montreal board, he interpreted two songs in front of a crowd mainly made up of journalists. The first sales were disappointing: with the March 9th 2007, only 233 copies were sold in the province of Quebec and about thirty except province.
Jacques Villeneuve is member of the Promenade of re-elected of Canada.
In January 2007, it bought a residence of 3.025.000 Canadian dollars with Westmount, the suburbs most crested and prestigious of Montreal.

Career

1990 - Italian Formula 3
1991 - Italian Formula 3
1992 - Formula 3 Japanese woman
1993 - Atlantic Formula
1994 - CART at Players Green
1995 - CART at Players Green
1996 - Formula 1 at Williams - Renault
1997 - Formula 1 at Williams - Renault
1998 - Formula 1 at Williams - Mecachrome
1999 - Formula 1 at BAR - Supertec
2000 - Formula 1 at BAR - Honda
2001 - Formula 1 at BAR - Honda
2002 - Formula 1 at BAR - Honda
2003 - Formula 1 at BAR - Honda
2004 - Formula 1 at Renault (the last 3 GP to replace Jarno Trulli)
2005 - Formula 1 at Sauber - Petronas
2006 - Formula 1 at BMW Sauber (12 GP, replaced by Robert Kubica starting from the GP of Hungary)
2007 - Sport-Prototypes at Peugeot (abandonment with the 24 hours of Mans 2007 on the Peugeot 908 whereas it was in second position.) Beginning in NASCAR.

Victories in Championship of the world of Formula 1

Honors

1994 - Recruit of the year, series CART
1995 - Champion of the series CART
1995 - Gaining 500 miles of Indianapolis
1995 - Trophy Lou Marsh (rewarding the Canadian sportsman for the year)
1996 - Vice World champion of Formula 1
1997 - World champion of Formula 1 with the team Williams
1997 - Trophy Lou Marsh
1998 - Officer of the National order of Quebec

See too

Gilles Villeneuve, his father
Jacques Villeneuve, his uncle
Pilot of Formula 1: classification per year
Pilot of Formula 1: classification by better Pilot turns
of Formula 1: classification by Pilot podiums
of Formula 1: classification by Pilot poles position
of Formula 1: classification by Pilot victories
of Formula 1: classification by hat tricks

Sources and references

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