Former Formula One World Champion Jacques Villeneuve has backed Lando Norris for this year’s driver’s title.
The McLaren driver finished second in the championship last year behind Max Verstappen but was instrumental in his team winning the constructors’ crown. Based on the times from pre-season testing, McLaren will likely be the fastest car heading into the season-opener in Australia this weekend.
“Definitely Lando. McLaren seems to have made a really strong car,” said the 1997 driver’s champion.
“If you just look at their season and how they progressed, they kept making steps forward. Lando was the only driver in the field that could step up to Max (Verstappen) and was on it every race. If he’s still in the same mindset, the season should start strong. We will have to see how it pans out halfway through the season. But the favourite right now is Lando and McLaren.”
Last year Norris and Verstappen came together a few times and Villeneuve, who knows a thing or two about battling aggressive drivers through his experience of beating Michael Schumacher to the 1997 title, believes the British racer did the right thing by standing up to the reigning champion.
Villeneuve and Schumacher had a famous collision in the final race of the 1997 season in Jerez (Spain). The latter deliberately tried to take the Canadian out of the race while being overtaken. While Schumacher retired on the spot, Villeneuve managed to limp home to third and seal his maiden title. Schumacher was thrown out of the championship for trying to take out his rival in that race.
“He didn’t bulge. They ended up clashing in Austria and paid a hefty price, stronger than Max did, but ultimately, he showed Max that he wasn’t going to move and was in there to fight. So, he already did the right thing,” said the former Williams driver.
One of the interesting plotlines of this season is Lewis Hamilton leaving Mercedes to join Ferrari and the 53-year-old backed the seven-time champion to raise his game.
“Lewis wants to be the driver with the most championships. And try to win with Ferrari. It is the dream of most drivers. Once you’ve won everything, you still need to win with Ferrari,” said Villeneuve, whose father Giles drove for Ferrari and is widely considered one of the legends of F1.
“Lewis knows how to cement his position inside a team. He got cut out when Russell joined (Mercedes). I think he had become complacent with all the easy years with (Vallteri) Bottas. And he didn’t see it coming.”
“But He goes into Ferrari knowing that it’s (Charles) Leclerc’s team, and he needs to become the team leader. So I think he will be brutal in that aspect. He knows how to win and how to move a team forward. It will be interesting, because Ferrari is not an easy team. There’s a lot of pressure from the fans and the team. It’s a very energetic place, but not an easy place to evolve, and Leclerc knows it (team) well.”
“And for Ferrari, it’s a win-win situation. If they win with Lewis, bingo, Amazing. If Leclerc beats Lewis, they create a star out of Leclerc. So right now, I guess they’re just waiting to see what will happen but Lewis will not want to be beaten.”
Meanwhile, after having a troubled testing programme, Red Bull enters the season on the backfoot for the first time in four years. This year will also be crucial for the energy drink giant as it is the first car it has produced since technical genius Adrian Newey left the squad last year.
Last year Red Bull started strong but lost its way, leaving Verstappen frustrated with the development path. Another poor year could complicate matters for Red Bull as it could lose its star driver.
Villeneuve worked with Newey at Williams and said it was a significant loss for Red Bull and the team could be bracing for some tough time before the new set-up finds its feet.
“Well, it’s not only to keep Max. It’s to get the ball rolling in the right direction again,” said Villeneuve, describing how important this year will be for Red Bull.
“Adrian Newey was a key and important part of the Red Bull programme. But he wasn’t the only one designing the car. He was the head, the top of the pyramid. And that’s the most important position. He understands how to work with drivers inside a car as well. He also understands the psychology of the human being that sits in the car, and that’s what made him very good.”
“He still is very good at finding grey areas in the rules and exploiting them to their maximum. So, he could get the most out of what was written in the rules,” remarked Villenueve.
“The people in place are still good, they just need to get their rhythm going. And for that, you also need the help of the driver.
Villenueve made a splash on debut on and off-track. He put his car on pole on debut in Australia, fighting for the title in his first year and winning it in his sophomore campaign. He was equally flashy outside the car, be it his coloured hair or his outspoken comments during his driving days and now as a broadcaster.
The FIA recently issued a clampdown on drivers swearing during race weekends, including hefty fines and even potential race bans. When asked if the sport is being too sanitised, Villeneuve called for a measured approach while urging drivers to be more responsible.
“It’s good to be colourful and have personality. But you should still be educated. And I guess that’s why there’s been a clampdown. I don’t know if I agree with the clampdown and if it should be in the rules. But the drivers must calm down because they were swearing every five words. And ultimately, you have kids watching. You’re an example,” said Villenueve.
(FanCode is the official broadcaster for F1 in India)
Published – March 13, 2025 08:18 pm IST