Jacques Villeneuve thinks that Lewis Hamilton still has the energy to seek an eighth world crown. The seven-time F1 world champion is joining Ferrari this year, and the 1997 champion told The Action Network that it will depend on the British driver's mind.
“It all depends on whether Lewis Hamilton has the same hunger as Fernando Alonso or not. He still wants a championship, and he wants it with Ferrari. So that should be enough to give him an appetite. But if things get tough, one will wonder Will he be a fighter and warrior like Alonso or will he think it's time to do something else with his life?” Villeneuve asks.
“But physically, there is no problem. He is in great shape, he is super strong, he can last another 10 years, there is no problem. But it's all in the head and in the desire . It's always like that in sport. Age is not a problem.
It's about whether you're mentally ready to give it your all, do all the training, go to bed, wake up in the morning and just think about it and focus. At some point in your life, it may lose its importance or priority. And that’s when you collapse.”
“It's not because there's a direct physical effect. It's exhausting, but at the same time, it's what keeps you alive. It's what motivates you. And when you stop, you realize after two months it's boring. You need that lifestyle. You need that adrenaline rush to keep going.”
Asked about the possibility of Hamilton becoming the best driver of all time, Villeneuve said he was quite uncomfortable with the notion: “There is never a best of all time. The cars evolve too much, they are too different.”
“If you look at someone like Jackie Stewart, he's impressive because he won three championships at a time when two, three or five drivers a year were dying or seriously injured, and with cars breaking down in the half of the races. Yet he managed to win a lot. Same thing for Fittipaldi, etc.”
“In a way, three of those championships are probably more impressive than five or six today. Plus, when you have a better car, you end up winning almost 24 races instead of 15, because the calendar has 10 more races than before.
“So the numbers are also skewed. The total number of points you get; a win gets 25 points. Before it was 8, then 9, then 10. That also skews the numbers. You can't compare eras. “
Flavio Briatore said he did not understand Ferrari's commitment to Hamilton, and Villeneuve was surprised by this skepticism: “It's a lack of insight on Briatore's part that suggests he can't see the logic in signing Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari. Just look at Ferrari's value the minute they signed him .”
“You can't think of Ferrari just as a racing team. It's a whole industry. Yes, they're there to win, but winning helps them sell more cars and increases the value of Ferrari. That's what it's all about. business and signing Lewis was worth millions and millions, so it was the best decision they ever made.”
Villeneuve is ready to see Hamilton as the most high-profile driver in Formula 1 history, and sees this transfer as the most important in almost 30 years: “Yes, Lewis Hamilton's move to Ferrari is the most high-profile decision in F1 since Michael Schumacher left Benetton for Ferrari.”
“Regardless of race results, Lewis Hamilton is the greatest driver of all time because of his audience. He is very different. He is unique. He broke the mold. There are a lot of things that depend on him. He's the one with the biggest image. His image goes beyond F1 and there aren't many drivers like that.”
“Take Verstappen out of F1, no one cares. Take Hamilton out of F1, people care. So yeah, it's the biggest signing. And Ferrari is also one of the biggest brands in the world, if not the greatest. So put the two together, yes, of course, it's incredible.”
