BIOGRAPHY OF

JACQUES VILLENEUVE

 

 


  

    

 

 

 


 

Born on 9th april 1971 in St Jean sur Richelieu (Québec), Canada

Height : 1.68 m

Weight : 67 kg

Residence : Villars-sur -Ollon (Suisse) - Monte Carlo (Monaco)

·        The debut      

1986 – Jacques Villeneuve is 15 years old when he takes part to an intensive course for  drivers at the  Jim Russell’s School, where he drives a Formula Ford 1600cc. He immediately shows his talent from the first lap!

1987- He takes part to another course for drivers, on a Formula 2000, at Spénard-David’s School in Shanonville – Ontario, Canada and he runs three races of that School’s Championship.

1988 – In Italy, Jacques takes part to three races of the « Alfa Italian Touring Car Championship ».

1989 à 1991 – Still in Italy, he takes part to the  Formula 3 Championship and he gets two 2nd places and two 3rd  places.

1992 – Jacques move to Japan, where he takes part to the Formula 3 Championship. At the end of the season he is 2nd, with three victories, one 2nd place and five 3rd places. Craig Pollock, his  trainer when he was still at the college in Beau Soleil - Swisse - becomes his manager.

·        1992 and 1993 - Formula Atlantic

1992 – Jacques takes part to the Grand Prix of Trois-Rivières in Québec, Canada, driving  a Player's Canada car and he gets  the 3rd place.

1993 –He takes part to the Formula Atlantic with the team Forsythe-Green. During the first complete year in Formula Atlantic, Jacques obtains the title of Rockie of the year, with five victories (one victory on Gilles-Villeneuve Track in Montreal), three 2nd places, one 3rd place and seven poles.

·        1994 and 1995 - IndyCar

Always with the team Forsythe-Green, Jacques Villeneuve takes part to the World Series PPG IndyCar : at the end of the season Jacques is 6th in the Drivers Championship and he gets the title of Rockie of the year 1994. During the season, Jacques obtains a victory, one 2nd place and one 3rd place.

·        1995 - Champion of the World Series PPG IndyCar !

Jacques Villeneuve, still in the team Green, takes part to his second Championship of the World Series PPG IndyCar.

He is 24 years old and he is the youngest driver to win the 500 Miles of Indianapolis.

In Laguna Seca, California, Jacques is crowned Champion 1995 of the World Series PPG IndyCar. During that brilliant season, he gets four victories, one 2nd places, two 3rd places and six poles.

·        1995 - Formula 1 – Test sessions….

On the 1st , 2nd  and 3rd august 1995, Jacques Villeneuve realises his first test session driving a Williams F1 in Silverstone, England.

On the 16th of the same month, Jacques officially announce that he will take part to the FIA F1 World Championship in the 1996 season.

 

·        1996 – An amazing first year in F-1

 

During his first season in Formula 1,  Jacques obtains the title of  Vice World Champion!

 

Victories : 4  (Europe, England, Hungary, Portugal)
Pole positions : 3  (Australia, Belgium, Japan)
Points : 78
World Champ. position : 2nd

 

·        1997 – F1 WORLD CHAMPION !!!!

On 1997 Jacques gets the title of F1 World CHAMPION !

Victories : 7  (Brazil, Argentina, Spain, England, Hungary, Austria, Luxembourg)
Pole positions: 10  (Australia, Brazil, Argentina, San Marino, Spain, England, Belgium, Austria, Japan, Europe)
Points: 81
World Champ. position : 1st

A big professional success and a big change in private life : his relationship with his girlfriend Sandrine Gros d’Aillons ends.

 

·        1998 – F1 Driver for Williams Team

Best result : two 3rd  places (Germany and Hungary)
Points: 21
World Champ. position : 5th

·        1999 – F1 Driver for British American Racing Team

A year on the track  to forget: zero points and a terrible accident in Belgium, luckily without bad consequences for Jacques. An important year out of the track: in Barcelona, during a test session before the Spanish GP, he meets the Australian singer and actress Dannii Minogue and their love story begins….

·        2000 – F1 Driver for BAR- Honda Team

Victories  : 0
Pole position : 0
Points : 17
World Champ. position: 7th

·        2001 – F1 Driver for BAR-Honda Team

Victories  : 0
Pole position : 0
Podium : 2 (3rd place)
Points : 12
World Champ. position: 7th

In January, Jacques and Dannii Minogue split. In July, Jacques is followed at the GP by his new American girlfriend  Ellen Green.

·        2002 - 2003 - F1 Driver for BAR-Honda Team

Jacques has got many problems in 2002 and 2003 in BAR, until he makes the decision to leave the team, and he is not on the grid in Suzuka for the last race of the season 2003.

·        2004 – Holidays…. And F1 Driver for Renault

Jacques Villeneuve leaves the team BAR-Honda and he doesn’t find any other opportunity to drive for another team, until the second half of the season, when Renault calls him to replace Jarno Trulli. Jacques drives the Renault for the last three races of the Championship.

·        2005 – F1 Driver for Sauber-Petronas

Victories : 0

Pole position : 0

Points: 9 (best place : 6th)

World Champ. position : 14

·        2006 – F1 Driver for BMW-Sauber