Jacques Villeneuve could return to top flight racing for the first time in 15 years after testing for a seat for 2023.
After starting his career in American open-wheel racing, the Canadian shot to fame in Formula 1 by winning his first and only title in his second season in the sport. In total he spent a decade in F1, earning 11 race wins and 23 podiums before leaving in 2006.
Following his departure he joined Peugeot to race at the 24hrs of Le Mans in 2007 and 2008 and has made a handful of other appearances in other series since – his CV includes the likes of IndyCar, NASCAR and Formula E.
But since that last Le Mans appearance in 2008 Villeneuve has not held a race seat in a top racing category. That could chance next year though, after a test in Barcelona with the Vanwall Le Mans Hypercar team last week.
The team competes in the World Endurance Championship. Owner Colin Kolles has admitted that hiring Villeneuve as a driver for next year is “a possibility”, as he explained how and why the Canadian’s test had been arranged in the first place.
“We got a phone call and then we agreed and arranged to do it,” he told Sportscar365. “It was a very spontaneous action. We know the surroundings and the people, so there is a certain degree of trust, and therefore this was possible. The intention of Jacques is very clear: it’s a very high target, but the intention is to win Le Mans.
Villeneuve’s F1 success came with Williams in the late 1990s
“The purpose of the exercise [was] to see if he enjoys it. And then, further steps have to be discussed and a lot of testing has to be done. If you haven’t run in a downforce car for many years, you have to get used to it again. The purpose was not to have a shootout between drivers – the purpose of the exercise was to see if he enjoys it.”
But whether or not the team will compete in the WEC next year will depend on whether they can achieve FIA homologation for their car. It is expected to take part in a wind tunnel test at the base of Sauber’s operations in the New Year as part of those efforts, but Kolles will be wary that his team was turned down for entry this year.
He added: “The testing has made progress in the understanding of the tyre, and torque control which is an important point for the engine… we don’t have a proper [performance] comparison in Barcelona because it’s not a WEC track, so we don’t have the proper data to compare. What we can say is that we are going in the right direction on the performance.”
Keyword: Jacques Villeneuve in the frame for race seat as ex-F1 champ sets sights on racing return