Ortelli offers Villeneuve lifeline.

[SALEEN S7R]

I just stumbled across this story.http://www.crash.net/uk/en/news_view...id=1&nid=80641 Now this could be very promising, Im assuming the pair would be partnered by Marc Leib and driving a Freisinger Porsche 911 GT3 RS, now I think that personally this could be a class winning pairing, providing of course JV could get used to driving with a roof over his head once again.

[Aysedasi]

He'd be good, for sure, but (you know what's coming next) if JV is going to take part at Le Mans, it should be in a car capable of really show-casing his undoubted talents, i.e., a prototype.

[jhansen]

I think you're right Ayse. Furthermore, if JV wants to add the 24 hours to his list of achievments then he will need an overall win, which currently means running a prototype.

[paul-collins]

Here's the source for crash.net's story:

http://www.nationalpost.ca/search/st...B-31BA4F707AF8

There's a lot more there (including some nice F1 bashing ) so it's worth a look.

You're right about the win needing to be overall, though - if he wants to surpass Mario and join Graham, a class win won't do (as Mario has a class win, just not the overall).

[SALEEN S7R]

Yeah I can see what u are all trying to say, but this will be JV'S debut race at Le Mans. So this could be a good way of getting some experince of the track and get aquainted with sportscar racing. Perhaps a season with Freisinger in FIA GT and a Le Mans assault with them, and then for 2005 a factory GTS/LMP 1 ride? I say GTS/LMP 1 because they will be the next class behind the LMP 1 cars, well some of the LMP 1 cars anyway.

[Thommy]

Originally posted by Aysedasi
He'd be good, for sure, but (you know what's coming next) if JV is going to take part at Le Mans, it should be in a car capable of really show-casing his undoubted talents, i.e., a prototype.

I think so, aysedasi! But maybe Stephane Ortelli can put good old Jacque thanks to Porsche- Connection to Audi?
I guess the Audi- men say "Hey Jacque, you may drive the R8 at Sebring, LeMans and PLM- but you have to sign the DTM- contract fist"

[paul-collins]

That's what Porsche needs to justify the 2005 LMP - star power!

Saleen, I agree that some seasoning would be required. I disagree that FIA-GT is where he'd go, though. If he's interested in overall, he should spend a year in the appropriate car - the ones you've listed.

So it's LMES or ALMS...

[Osella]

Don't knock the Freisinger 911... these guys are at the top of their game. Seikel got one home 6th recently!

[SALEEN S7R]

Originally posted by paul-collins
That's what Porsche needs to justify the 2005 LMP - star power!

Saleen, I agree that some seasoning would be required. I disagree that FIA-GT is where he'd go, though. If he's interested in overall, he should spend a year in the appropriate car - the ones you've listed.

So it's LMES or ALMS...

Sorry But I disagree. FIA GT has the best GT/NGT teams in the world if u ask me. I woudnt mind betting either that the BMS team could beat the Prodrive operation with the #23 car. And lets face it, we all know why the ACO didnt give a invitation to Freisinger this year at LM, because they might have beaten AJR. There was a lot of dubious entries at LM this year. Le Mans is supposed to be about having the best teams and the best cars, this year it didnt have that to a extent if u ask me. I can think of a few entries that were at LM this year which shoudnt have been. (in my opinion)

Still u are correct that he will likely join the ALMS, it makes more sense as he is based in Canada. But I stand by what I say, and that is I dont belive that there is any team out there at the moment that could beat Freisinger in the GT class. Particulary if they had a line up of say, Dumas, Ortelli and Leib, or replacing Dumas for Massen. Hopefully next year the ACO will give at least a single entry to the Freisinger team so they can show what they can really do.

[paul-collins]

You'll not convince me that BMS would beat Prodrive, or Corvette for that matter; and you'll certainly not convince me that Freisinger would beat AJR on a regular basis. We've been over this territory, already, though.

[SALEEN S7R]

And u wont convince me that BMS coudnt beat Prodrive and Corvette on a regular basis, and that Freisinger coudnt beat AJR regularly either. So as u have said Paul theres no point in discussing it. I guess we will just have to agree to disagree on this issue.

[The Badger]

Didnt Villeneuve do a few races for Toyota back in 1993/94 ? He drove with Ogawa and maybe Irvine in Japan with a Toyota TS-010 . From what I remember he did good too . Id love to see him flake the arse off a good prototype !!!

[Aysedasi]

Originally posted by Osella
Don't knock the Freisinger 911... these guys are at the top of their game. Seikel got one home 6th recently!

On the contrary, I agree entirely they're a very fine team indeed, but top of the game in GT. Is that what JV wants on his cv?

[The Badger]

Look at it another way . He can already say that he has won the Indy 500 , the CART series and the F1 championship . I reckon it would be cool if he could say that he was GT world champ and that he has won LeMans 24 hours too . All those achivements on a cv would look very smart !!! I do feel however that GT is not on his mind . If he would like to do GT then why not do something like 1000 KM race with his mate Ortelli to see if he likes it .

What happened to those rumors about a Canadian Audi , You never know !!! From what I remember Mika Salo and JV are buddies too , so maybe Salo has had a word in his shell too . Audi sport Canada , cool . And while were at it , I wonder how Ron Fellows would go in an Audi with JV ?

[Aysedasi]

Yes, but if he wins the GT class at Le Mans, he hasn't actually won Le Mans.......

If Salo has had a word with JV, he'll probably never do Le Mans. I don't expect to see Salo back after this year......

[The Badger]

Originally posted by Aysedasi
Yes, but if he wins the GT class at Le Mans, he hasn't actually won Le Mans.......

If Salo has had a word with JV, he'll probably never do Le Mans. I don't expect to see Salo back after this year......

He'll probably never do Le Mans with Frank Biela you mean !!! To be honest I cant see Salo being back either unless he considers it unfinished business . I think its great to see ex-F1 drivers comeing into sportscar racing , like Lehto , Herbert , Brabham and so on . Salo was quoted saying "he never had so much fun" at Sebring , and that he never passed so many cars .
Imagine a Canadian Audi team with Villeneuve-Irvine-Salo . That would be a humdinger of a car . I know that Irvine is probably not the most liked of drivers but he is bloody good . His lap record he set in the night in a TS-010 in 1993 stood until the year before last . I think he is brill !!!

[Splatz the Cow]

Villeneuve, Irvine, and Salo - odds on bet there is a punch-up before the end of the first testing session!

I can't think of a worse combination in that they would not work as a team. Remember, after Schumacher, Irvine thinks he's the second best driver in the world. The problem would come when both Villeneuve and Salo post quicker lap times...

I respect your view that theoretically they should be a good choice, but a number of interviews of LM driver teams have them saying that friendship and comraderie and selflessness are the key to a good team. Was it Wollek that said, "when it comes to Le Mans you have to leave your ego behind." (Please correct if necessary).

[Aysedasi]

Great quote from Wollek. I also agree that the JV/MS/EI combination would almost certainly be a disaster. Looks great on paper but would never work in practice. You need to put JV with a good, solid Le Mans performer, a but like the pairing of Dan Gurney and A.J. Foyt way back. Gurney was able to teach A.J. how to drive a car at Le Mans so that Foyt didn't think he had to beat Dan every time he got in the car......

[Fab]

A strange as it could seem, the french pilots doesn't like very much -or at all - Le mans ; Alain Prost was never interrested, and we never saw Panis as well.

It's just by chance qe'll have Lafitte this year, but he says "Le Mans is boring"... none of the recent french F1 pilots went at LM... Gimme rally pilots !

[Aysedasi]

Is that because after their glorious days in F1, they don't want to lower themselves by doing something they consider inferior.....?

[Fab]

No, they've fear of the track : too much deads in the LM history

And remember the lack of interrest we pay here to sportscars...

[Aysedasi]

We have a saying, absence makes the heart grow fonder - which is how I feel about Le Mans when one race has finished and I'm waiting for the next.

But we also have a saying, Familiarity breeds contempt - perhaps that's more in line for the way French people think about their great race......?

[jhansen]

I will agree with Ayse, a solid "Le Mans" performer is the ideal team mate for someone like JV. First of all for the experience. But the second reason is more important I believe. It should be someone with no Formula 1 experience, but lots of sports car experience. That way JV will not have pre-conceived notions of this driver's skill. JV has run against the likes of Herbert and Magnussen and probably figures they couldn't cut it in F1, so how could they be better in sports cars. Did he get along well with any of the drivers during his F1 career?

[pirenzo]

it's because they know they have to cheat to win it

no, i thinks its reall 'cos there aren't many GP drivers. Most GP drivers at LM have recently retired. Well, Panis hasn't yet, and i think Prost had had probably just about enough of racing.

And to be honest, Le Mans probably is a bit boring to F1 drivers. Because they are considerably faster than Sportscars. When you think of the other F1 drivers who've competed recently, they all got their interest from Group C.

[BSchneiderFan]

Originally posted by pirenzo
i think Prost had had probably just about enough of racing...

Unless it's on ice, presumably..?