Jacques Villeneuve: Max has no weaknesses at all

Jacques Villeneuve takes part in the Gazzetta dello Sport festival, which today takes place in the city of Trento, and in an interview with a popular Italian publication he said that among the drivers of modern Formula 1 he is most admired by Max Verstappen, Carlos Sainz and Fernando Alonso.

“Ferrari is not in the best position at the moment, but this is also part of the history of the Scuderia. In some periods it performs successfully, and then there are cycles when it does not win,” said the 1997 world champion. – At the same time I like what Carlos Sainz does because he is constantly making progress and always helping the teams he plays for.

In general, teams nowadays protect their drivers too actively, although they should be given more freedom, including the right to make mistakes.

I admire Fernando Alonso for his insatiable hunger for success – this is what sets great drivers apart. And it is wrong to think that Red Bull is an invincible team – only Max Verstappen is invincible there. His strength is that he was never a child; he became a mature racer at a very young age. He was proclaimed champion by his father, Jos Verstappen, who treated him very harshly. But the thing is, Max has no weaknesses at all.”

Jacques, now 52, ​​is the son of Gilles Villeneuve, the legendary Ferrari driver who never became world champion, and knows first-hand what it is like to grow up in the family of a motor racing star.

“I grew up with the desire to achieve more, to push the boundaries,” says Jacques. – I was confident that I would compete in Formula 1 and that sooner or later I would become world champion. Even as a child I realized that I had to fulfill this mission.

But I will honestly say that I raced because I loved it, and not because I needed to continue my father’s story. And now I dream of getting behind the wheel again: I am ready to go to the starting line tomorrow, if there is such an opportunity. If only so that my children would enjoy watching me compete.”