Jacques Villeneuve has mentioned that NASCAR might be an option for him if he finds himself out of a ride on the Formula One circuit next season.

Speaking to the paddock publication Red Bulletin, which is distributed by Red Bull, Villeneuve says he is determined to stay in F1 but is open to other options.

"Going to NASCAR might not be such a bad career move, because it's the most exciting race series in the US and it's a very different discipline to F1," says the former world champion. "I would not consider it a step down.

Villeneuve adds he likely wouldn't make the return trip stateside to join either the Champ Car series or the Indy Racing League in its current form.

"As it stands now, CART and the IRL are looking tired. I would not consider a switch from F1 to either series a good career move. You only do that if you have no other choice, unless you do what Nigel Mansell did - win the F1 title, quit, and then take the Indy championship in your rookie year. That was amazing."

Villeneuve says he would also have to take into considering his family when considering a move to NASCAR as that would mean moving back to the United States full time.

Villeneuve's contract with the BMW-Sauber team is set to expire at the end of this year. While the team has given no indication about which direction is plans to go with its driver selection, youngster Robert Kubica is making a strong case for promotion to full time status next year.

http://www.tsn.ca/auto_racing/news_story.asp?id=170378

an F1 driver in NASCAR... sounds like a bad idea to me, nascar is way different from really any other race type i think (well.. the community is)

i dont see that happenening

Great, one less whining looney in F1

Looks like a toyota drive in NASCAR as well, IIRC there will be a Red Bull toyota team next year.

Personally, I think this is just another example of the American press setting up a driver with a 'loaded' question and then running the story to promote conflict. This type of thing happens too often over here.

If he were to move to NASCAR I think he would lose a lot of support from Canada. I just don't see it happening. There are numerous drivers in the F1 field who don't even come close to the experience and skill level that JV posesses.

I think Kubica might pose a problem for JV next year (as far as BMW is concerned). It all just depends on how well the rest of the season goes for Jacques. BMW has been improving steadily with their car and that has reflected on Jacques with his 6th place qualifier in USA.

We shall see

He was 6th. Alonso 5th.

Quote from zeugnimod :

He was 6th. Alonso 5th.

oops :banghead:

Quote from Viper93 :

I would like to see him move. If he does well, maybe more people in the states will pay attention to F1.

I'm confused. I dont see how JV moving to NASCAR would make more americans watch F1.

Quote from Vancouver_Canuck :

I'm confused. I dont see how JV moving to NASCAR would make more americans watch F1.

Depends on how the announcers do it, if they say he used to race F1 and make a deal about I could see more people watching it.

They would have to be idiots not to know who he is.

Quote from Vancouver_Canuck :

Personally, I think this is just another example of the American press setting up a driver with a 'loaded' question and then running the story to promote conflict. This type of thing happens too often over here.

If he were to move to NASCAR I think he would lose a lot of support from Canada. I just don't see it happening. There are numerous drivers in the F1 field who don't even come close to the experience and skill level that JV posesses.

I think Kubica might pose a problem for JV next year (as far as BMW is concerned). It all just depends on how well the rest of the season goes for Jacques. BMW has been improving steadily with their car and that has reflected on Jacques with his 6th place qualifier in USA.

We shall see

All true. Yet I don't know about NASCAR. It's a fun series, but I don't really see Villeneuve over there. Doesn't fit all that well, and it doesn't seem like his type of car. Villeneuve seems more of an open-wheel type of racer.

He might lose some support from Canada as it is mainly an American event, compared to F1 which is world-opened. Yet, some people are speculating about bringing a NASCAR event to the Montreal track. Yet, I don't think that will really happen.

Kubica is a great and fast driver that may pose problem for Villeneuve's future with BMW-Sauber F1. Yet, he might not become a regular pilot just yet. If we look at Davidson at Honda. He's always topping all the Friday practices, he's a very good pilot, gained a lot of experience, has been there for many years now, yet, he still isn't offered a wheel as a regular pilot. So, though Kubica may have a future with BMW, he's still a test pilot.

We'll see by the end of the year .

I would like to see him move. If he does well, maybe more people in the states will pay attention to F1. Wonder what is going through his head though, NASCAR gets boring, I can watch it, but only if I need something to goto sleep in the middle of the day. Not saying that it's not challenging or that it's not real racing, it is, nothing really happens like it does with road circuit racing, even better temporary street courses, now they get exciting

Nascar? That's the most boring racing i've ever seen. Unless its att the small tracks.

Quote from Rappa Z :

Nascar? That's the most boring racing i've ever seen. Unless its att the small tracks.

or when there are large crashes, thats what i enjoy seeing

yeah since he was a indycar champ, I think as in every sport in America....how "marketable" you are makes a huge impact on your desirebility. (in no way suggesting a lack of ability).

and JV might be one of the biggest name over there, given his early success, his family history, his lifestyle etc etc, he would have no problem landing a drive in Nascar, and since his big name will undoubtedly attract big team and big sponsor, I can't see him doing bad. And he got Oval experience.

Quote from Rappa Z :

Nascar? That's the most boring racing i've ever seen. Unless its att the small tracks.

You obviously haven't seen the American LeMans Series....

That would really be cool if they could get a bigger field to race.
I went and saw the Houston GP... they only had a total count of I think 15 cars.
That was all the classes combined... I swear, it was like spectating on a LFS server that had 5 or 6 cars of different classes running on it.

I tried to get into NASCAR, but I dunno....

Ok, maybe i'm crazy, but i've seen Nascar-type cars on curcuits lately,
doesn't Nascar (or some form of stock car) now turn both ways ?!

I'm sure some will oppose, but Nascar is similar to Indy what with the
big ovals and rough and tough cars and drivers. Not like those snobby
skinny F1 people who blame all on others. Mmmm, maybe Villeneuve
should stay in F1 come to think of it, fits him much better.

As a canadian from Québec, we are blasted with false patriotism towards
Jacques Villeneuve because of his dad, which WAS a great driver. That his
son repeatedly crashes into walls at the track bearing his dad's name is
pure irony imo. He's nothing like his father, barely lived in america and has
no culture from here whatsoever, apart from owning a club in downtown
Montréal. He's a european, period. I'm fed up of hearing about him like he's
our golden child or something. Ok, i'm done venting

But I feel really connected with JV's lifestyle - that it's a mix of everything, that's there's no real template about that style. Actually he might even look like a romantic musician struggling to make a living, but with his buzzling talent he actually won a world championship so early, so young, maybe not most convincingly, but you have to BE THERE and actually DO THAT, that is indeed some kind of achievement, I have respect for him because he really enjoys his life, and be successful in what he does.

Quote :

Not like those snobby skinny F1 people who blame all on others.

There is quite some blaming going on in Nascar as well. Just do some reading about the Kenseth-Gordon incident at Chicagoland last week.

Quote :

Ok, maybe i'm crazy, but i've seen Nascar-type cars on curcuits lately, doesn't Nascar (or some form of stock car) now turn both ways ?!

You are not crazy, they have been doing that for quite a while. There are always 2 road course events (Watkins Glen and Sonoma in recent years) on the schedule.

IRL (the other openwheel series in the states) adopted 2 road races since last year, as well. They were oval only before.

Quote from Hoellsen :

You are not crazy, they have been doing that for quite a while. There are always 2 road course events (Watkins Glen and Sonoma in recent years) on the schedule.

In my view, some dates at the cookie cutters should go and be replaced by events at Laguna Seca, Mid Ohio and Sebring. Just my tuppence.

Quote from Hoellsen :

There is quite some blaming going on in Nascar as well. Just do some reading about the Kenseth-Gordon incident at Chicagoland last week.

True, i guess it's the atmosphere.