Villeneuve - Montoya lacks respect

Former world champion Jacques Villeneuve has slammed title hopeful Juan Pablo Montoya for showing a lack of respect to his track rivals.

The 1997 champion feels the Colombian should give his opponents their due but admits Montoya’s couldn’t-care-less attitude is good for Formula One fans.

“I always believe it is important to respect your opposition, Juan fights because he doesn’t respect your position which is good for the spectators,” said Villeneuve.

“He takes chances and he doesn’t respect anyone. Juan is quick, he does make a few mistakes, he seems to be a bit more volatile and a bit more Latin but it is not pressure that makes him make mistakes. With or without pressure he will make the same mistakes.”

Montoya, like Canadian Villeneuve, bounded into Formula One after winning the Champ Car title in the United States where he had the reputation of being a streetfighter on the track.

The 28-year-old carried that daredevil attitude into motor sport’s premier series with a thrilling overtaking move on Michael Schumacher in only his third race in 2001 in Brazil.

But Montoya has also been criticised for being too impulsive although he has been far more careful this season, accepting minor placings instead of risking everything on trying to snatch a victory.

The South American, who has finished on the podium for the last eight races, could become the first driver to win the title for Williams since Villeneuve’s triumph.

Montoya is just three points behind five-time champion Schumacher heading into tomorrow’s United States Grand Prix at Indianapolis, the penultimate round of an absorbing 16-race battle for the drivers’ crown.

Finland’s Kimi Raikkonen is just four points further adrift but Villeneuve insisted the McLaren-Mercedes driver could yet benefit from the fight between Montoya and Schumacher.

“Kimi is the wild card right now because he is behind a bit in competitive terms, not by much, and he is close enough so that if the other two fighting go off then he gets all the points,” added Villeneuve who took the title after a dramatic last race decider with Schumacher.

“He has as much a chance as the others to win. He is quick, but he has made mistakes as well.

Twice he has started from the back because he went off in qualifying and you cannot do that when you are fighting for the title.

“He seems to make less mistakes now but seems to have slowed down a little bit to do that, so I don’t know. He is a solid contender.

“As for Schumacher, he is very good. He has won five championships so he is very, very good. He is quick but everybody has got positives and negatives.”

Villeneuve, who equalled his season’s best finish of sixth place in the last race in Italy, is still battling to save his F1 future.

The 32-year-old could make his final appearance in the season finale in Japan next month fearing that engine giants Honda are pushing strongly to have test driver Takuma Sato as Jenson Button’s partner at BAR next year.

Villeneuve believes he is being made to pay the price for the team’s lack of success on the track as his manager and team founder Craig Pollock did two years ago when he was replaced by David Richards.

“Someone has to take the fall for the lack of results,” added Villeneuve, who has been with BAR since their debut in 1999.

“And it is easy. Craig got the fall two years ago so I guess I am the next one in line.

“Even though the results have not been very good, there’s been a couple of podiums, there’s been a feel of achievement, and we had a good time doing it all.

“And we were all working in the same direction, so it was worth it. It’s just the last couple of years that have been highly unenjoyable.

“But I don’t have any regrets. The first contract I signed was an easy decision to make. It was just a big risk, but people could work themselves into understanding that. It was fun to take that risk and find out what happened.

“But I’ve achieved my childhood dream, which was to win the F1 title. I’ve won the Indianapolis 500 here so even if I was forced to retire, I wouldn’t bite my nails, wake up in the morning and feel sorry for myself.

“That is good. It allows me to do all my thinking with a clear mind. But I am definitely not ready to retire.

“Le Mans would be a fun thing to race, just because no one’s ever won CART, the Indy 500, F1 and Le Mans, but right now I find it hard to imagine racing in anything else than F1.

“But once you don’t have something any more, you start thinking different.

“Maybe something else would start exciting me and I might start considering it.”