Jacques Villeneuve
Canadiense · 1996–2006
Jacques Villeneuve arrived in Formula 1 preceded by two enormous weights: his father's name, the legendary Gilles Villeneuve, and a reputation already forged on the other side of the Atlantic. Before setting foot in F1 he had won the IndyCar championship and the Indianapolis 500 in 1995, an unusual CV for a newcomer.
He debuted in 1996 with Williams, the best car on the grid, and came within a whisker of the title in his first year. He clinched it in 1997, in a brutal season against Schumacher's Ferrari settled in the Jerez controversy, where the German tried to run him off the track and was excluded from the championship. Villeneuve, with his blond mane and aggressive style, was a global star.
His decision to leave Williams to lead the ambitious BAR project derailed his competitive career: he never won again and faded away at underperforming teams. Even so, his name remains forever tied to one of the most memorable championship finales in history.
What if Villeneuve had another car?
We took his real attributes and put him in the best car of each era — in a real driver's seat, against the team-mate that car actually had. 20 full seasons in each.
| Car | Team-mate | Finish | Wins | Titles |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| McLaren1988 | Alain Prost-83 pts | P2 | 2.8 | 0% |
| Williams1992 | Riccardo Patrese-2 pts | P2.1 | 4.8 | 30% |
| Ferrari2002 | Rubens Barrichello+35 pts | P1.2 | 9.8 | 85% |
| Red Bull2013 | Mark Webber+49 pts | P1.1 | 11.2 | 90% |
| Mercedes2016 | Lewis Hamilton-87 pts | P2 | 4.9 | 0% |
| Red Bull2023 | Sergio Perez+31 pts | P1.2 | 12.8 | 85% |
| Cadillac2026 · 11th on the grid | Valtteri Bottas+15 pts | P10.3 | 0 | 0% |
The only one who beats him is Lewis Hamilton in the 2016 Mercedes: 87 points clear over a full season.
Teams
Tags
Wins
11
Poles
13
Titles
1
Best year
1997
In-game overall
What would Jacques Villeneuve have achieved with a different car or in a different era?