Jacques Villeneuve Gets Candid on F1 Podcast

Williams’ 1997 F1 champion, Jacques Villeneuve, is known in today’s circles as a cynic and a person who has ridiculous opinions. He has always been blunt and stood up to Michael Schumacher and Ferrari in his title-winning season.

So when he appeared on the official F1 podcast, Beyond the Grid, some quote had to have been expected. The Canadian did not disappoint, though this time his statement seems to come straight from his heart.

He was different in both approach and fashion. On being asked about the label of the ‘peroxide rebel’ (for his famously peroxide blonde hair) by the host, Villeneuve had this answer to give.

“I feel like myself after going back to being blonde”, he joked. “People would look at me and say, ‘Hey you’re not blonde’, although I’d like to think I was!”

“I had fun. I was at the end of an era I think. I wouldn’t say I was a rebel. A rebel goes against the establishment just for the sake of it, not because he believes in something.”

“I was my man; I always had big, strong beliefs of what was right and what was wrong. It was difficult for me to step back and there are always consequences to things.”

“Changing my haircut was just fun. When the media wrote about me losing my mind because I coloured my hair, it actually made me laugh,” he said.

He was also asked who on the current grid seemed like him the most. “Not Lewis (Hamilton)! He spends too much time on himself, his image is paramount to him. In my days, the team used to build your image”, stated Villeneuve.

“I’d say Alonso. He is one of the old guards.”

However, he seemed most impressed by another old guard, Kimi Raikkonen. “Lately, Kimi has been very outspoken. He is very chatty now, makes full phrases! He seems more like himself now than in the past and showcasing his best driving in the process.”

You can watch/listen to the whole podcast here: