Villeneuve sees Williams exceeding his expectations`
By Andrew Hooper
January 4 2015
Former Williams driver and 1997 World Champion Jacques Villeneuve has spoke of his surprise over the Williams Martini teams performance during the 2014 Formula One season, in particular he was impressed with team driver Valtteri Bottas.
Villeneuve
sees Williams exceeding his expectations
Former Williams
driver and 1997 World Champion Jacques Villeneuve has spoke of his surprise
over the Williams Martini teams performance during the 2014 Formula One
season. In particular he was impressed with team driver Valtteri Bottas.
Previous comments had seen Villeneuve critical of the team in particular
their string of poor results in the 2013 season. Villeneuve felt that the
team had sunk to the level of having to take on drivers who paid for their
seat, in respect of Maldonado and Bottas who both brought finances to the
team. Villeneuve said: “When a team is reduced to hiring pay-drivers, it’s
over.”
But after the 2014 season, where Bottas finished fourth and Felipe Massa,
and the team finished third in the constructor’s championship, Villeneuve
has changed his opinion of the team and Bottas.
Villeneuve added: “Bottas is a young driver, not really a pay-driver. Even
with Felipe Massa they got some money from Brazil. But he is also a
professional driver with a past, a career, and they (Williams) knew well how
to use the money.”
Villeneuve said: “Williams does not have a big budget, yet they managed to
turn the tide. But it is not completed yet.
“(2014) was the first season that they went well, so we will have to see if
it continues the same way.”
Villeneuve, now 43, won seven races for Williams in the 1997 championship
season. He admitted he did not expect his old team to be good “but not that
good.”
As for how the Williams team performed in 2014 Villeneuve spoke of how he
felt the team had exceeded his expectations.
“I expected them to be better (in 2014 than 2013), but they exceeded
expectations,” Villeneuve said.
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