Hooray! Now we all have the confirmation that Jacques Villeneuve has made it in F1. Schumacher is preparing another psychological warfare. This time Villeneuve is the target. Does that mean that in Schumacher's mind Villeneuve is the man to beat next year? Old Michael might find that nut harder to crack. Notwithstanding talent, if one thing is sure, it's the fact that this boy's skin is somewhat ticker than Hill's.

Richard P. Forgues
rforgues@sympatico.ca
Canada

A lot has been said about Hill's replacement at the Williams' garages and a lot of ink will probably flow until he gets a good seat.

Yes, Hill is a talented driver (and maybe one of the best "setup" driver in the business right now), but nobody has said anything about his age.

Hill was born in 1960, Frentzen in 1967 (OK, Berger was born in 1959 but talks of him retiring next year are still there, say why not Hill for Berger?...).

Anyway, if Frentzen is really that good a driver, he should be able to remain with the team for a couple of more years and be ready when the new engine (BMW?) arrives in 1998. The same cannot be said for Hill and that is the most important point, look long term!

Roland Leger
rleger@telebec.qc.ca
Canada

After watching Formula 1 for 15 years I am becoming concerned at what might be considered, for lack of a better description, the castration of Formula 1.

There seems to be this under current of discussion about how to make the races more competitive and therefore, more exciting to watch. I guess Villenueve passing Schumacher on the outside of the Parabolica isn't exciting enough? I have heard many solutions from replacing the carbon fiber brakes for steel brakes, grooving the tires so they have less grip etc. etc. We have seen narrower tires, smaller wings, no turbo's, smaller engines, banning of traction control and active suspension, refueling and the silliest of all wooden planks fastened to the undercarriage. All of which has not had the desired effect, but rather has reduced F1 to a lower level. After all, is this not the pinnacle of motor racing, the desire of every ambitious driver on the face of the planet? It is this very reason that F1 SHOULD be the highest technologically advanced level in motor sport.

Most F1 drivers today and in the past has had to work their way through the ranks proving themselves, from go-carts to Formula Atlantic. Once they arrive at F1, this is the place that only the best of drivers, crews, technology and sponsors survive. By its nature, not all will withstand this arduous test and that is the way it should be. This is F1 where only the best survive and prosper. I can understand the comments of "lets make it more competitive" but, not at the peril of losing sight of what F1 represents.

If one has a hankering for wheel to wheel racing then why don't we put all of the F1 drivers in Honda Civic's? Yes, it would be exciting to see which driver would come out on top, for the first ten minutes. Then we would be yearning for the 5g corners, the white hot brakes as they push their cars to the limit, the 15 or so thousand rpm of the engines and all the other things that make F1 so addictive. The point is, if we slow the cars down too much we lose the excitement and F1 will lose more of its audience to other forms of racing. There has been and will continue to be "Drivers Challenges" which pit driver against driver in identical cars. If this is what we want, why is it that those types of series are not very popular and don't attract the big sponsors and drivers and certainly don't pay the big salaries? Lets say we slow down the cars, put funny tires on them and take off all ground effects. Are we not just duplicating existing types of racing? Let's say we make up a new car that is slower than an Indy Car, would we not lose more viewers who want to see the speed and technology of F1? I know that I like F1 because of its superiority to other forms of racing, I take pride of the fact that in a head to head battle between an F1 car and an Indy car, the F1 would clean house. This point in itself is why F1 is has attracted so many people and kept them loyal to F1.

The strange thing is, with all the changes that have been made to F1 cars to make them safer and slow them down, now seems to have been a knee jerk reaction to Senna's and Ratzenberger's deaths at Imola. Many of the fast corners have been done away with and the ground effects have been reduced. The change in ground effects has actually had the reverse effect and made the cars more unstable at speed while following another car. The changes in track configuration has reduced the passing areas so that it is now more difficult to pass thus reducing the excitement. If we need to make the tracks safer can we not increase the run off areas and put in tire barriers, all of which would have saved Senna's and Ratzenberger's lives?

For those who watch F1 and want to slow down the cars, they should ask themselves what interested them in F1 in the first place? If not the cars are they a personal friend of one of the drivers? If we put all of this in perspective and use logic to decide what goes and what stays, F1 can be the pinnacle of racing and retain the huge world viewer ship it now has. Let's face it, there is never a lot of room at the top, that's life! If one finds them self getting bored with F1, maybe they should watch a NASCAR race and let them ponder that thought after seeing the cars go around and around and around(no offence intended). I think I would rather watch paint dry, but that's just me.

James Brown
juice@islandnet.com
Canada

It would appear to me that Frank Williams will finally get his due in the 1997 season for his lack of driver loyalty. He gives Hill the boot based on speculation alone. Frentzen is faster than Boullion. So what! Of Wendlinger, Schumacher, and Frentzen, Wendlinger was supposed to be the very fastest. Prior to his terrible accident in Monaco, he never was the dominant force at Sauber. Nor has Frentzen dominated Herbert. Yet Schumacher always dominated Herbert. No, Frank has alienated the 2nd best driver available. And he has alienated the best designer in the business. And he will loose the precious Renault at the end of 1997. The downward spiral will begin next season. Then he'll know exactly how Ron Dennis has felt in 1993 and 1994. He will loose his way - and here's hoping he never finds it again!

Terry Templeton
newton@wsnet.com
USA

It is exciting to see Villenueve doing well in the first year of what will likely be a very successful career. I have lost some interest, however, in the sport and it concerns me that two factors seem to dictate the outcome of most races; the start and the pitstops. Except for Schumacher's splendid display in the rain, and Jacques persistent pursuit of Damon during this last race, most races have seen the front runner build up an insurmountable lead by the end of the race.

Jacques and Damon have provided more wheel to wheel action this year than in several previous years. Their equipment is obviously superior and both understand the need to run out in front. The aerodynamics of an F1 car are optimized for "clean air" and the front runner has a huge advantage during most of the race. Perhaps the width of the tires need to be reduced to cause a narrower stance, slower cornering speeds and more pitstops for those who thrash their tires. The front runner would need to scrub some of the advantage of clean air at every corner. We might also see more passing and fewer elite drivers held up by less competitive racers.

Lawrence Braul
newcomer@cadvision.com
Canada

The choice Frank Williams made when replacing Hill was a good one. He is loosing a talented driver (I will give him that much although I feel there are better drivers out there) but the returns are much greater when you take a closer look.

1) There still is a talented driver at Williams who is at the very least as talented as Hill. I believe he is better. Villeneuve. In his rookie season he is giving Hill a good fight for the title.

2) He is gaining a driver who is fast and knows the circuits. Frentzen is quick, what he has done in the Sauber is very good. The car is a dog compared to the big teams but he has managed to do very well. He has raced Schumacher and showed that he is capable of competing on a mental level. This is something Damon has failed at before. Hill should have won the title in 1994, there was too great an advantage. When you have the best car and a three race advantage you should really do better than he did.

3) Frentzen is more important than Hill for the future of the team. In a race car they are both just drivers, but outside of a racecar Frentzen is a valuable commodity when trying to negotiate for a new engine supplier. (If there is any truth BMW may be the target of FW's power goal.)

4) Hill's 20% or so winning average is artificial, if he can maintain that ratio while driving at least one other different car then it is truly impressive, but when you do it driving a Williams for 4 years, it is expected. In recent times any driver who has stepped into a Williams has won races (except Senna but there is good reason for that exception). To win 20% is very good but not spectacular. Do that in a Ferrari or a McLaren and it becomes notable. By the way ... Schumacher - 15 Starts in a Ferrari - 3 wins - 20%. That is amazing considering the car. Hill is not on the same level as Schumacher.

Michael DeCesare
miked@vbsnet.com

Last Sunday Villeneuve showed again his ablity. His pass over Schumacher on the outside of the Parabolica Curve was one of the great moments of recent times.

Race fans have witnessed 2 of these moments this month. The first was Zanardi over Herta in the corkscrew on Laguna Seca. Now we had Villeneuve.

As I said after the first race in Australia, Villeneuve is one of the best driver's to appear in Formula One since Schumacher. He is fast but he also is a very cerebral driver. His pass over Schumacher was proof of his courage. For me there is no doubt that Schumacher reduced his speed to avoid danger and Jacques used this to pass in front of him helped by the tow of the Minardi.

I think that it won´t be easy for Frentzen to beat Jacques next year.

Finally I would like to disagree with the people who thinks that Frank Williams gives more value to his cars than to his drivers. I think that Damon Hill is a very good driver and I hope that he wins these championship, but clearly, Frank Williams is taking Frentzen not because he thinks that Heinz-Harald is worse than Hill, but like many people, he thinks that he is better. It is the same policy that saw Mansell changed for Prost, and when he took Senna too.

With Frentzen and Villeneuve, Williams will have not only the best car, but also the best drivers.

Marko Petek
petek@voyager.com.br
Brazil

Damn do I miss Derek Bell when he's gone.

I counted three different pronunciations of Jean Alesi's last name on the part of Eddie Cheever during ESPN's coverage of the Portuguese Grand Prix, only one of them being of usual parlance. Unfortunately, the latter appeared to be a mistake-within-a-mistake (my God, was Cheever being post-modern?) on Cheever's part and he quickly reverted to bouncing back and forth between his two clumsy alternatives.

Now I don't want to come across as some overly pedantic snobbish bastard, but it sounds like Cheever's year with them Indy Racing League boys has erased all memory of his "European Years" in the formula ranks. I mean it is one thing if AJ Foyt were to refer to yet another amazing start by "Gene Ah-lessy," but we're supposed to be talking sophisticated European-bred stock here, right?

It would be silly to harp on such a small thing if it weren't for the fact that Eddie's lapse in this regard is indicative of a larger failing. He just isn't the man to fill Derek Bell's shoes and it shows. Too bad we'll have to wait until next year for Bell's return to the broadcasting booth. Poor old Eddy will be with us ESPN viewers when the Kid and Hill duke it out in Japan.

In Cheever's defense, It must be hard to commentate on Villeneuve's fourth win and the possibility of him snatching away the championship from Hill in this his rookie season. It was bad luck that prevented Cheever from winning that first race in a major racing league, not lack of talent. It is certainly sad to see great racers like himself or Michele Alboreto embarrass themselves in racing leagues that are beneath them or positions that don't suit them. They certainly deserve better.

Eric Gustafson
egustafson@wvs.com
USA

So, its all left to the final race at Suzuka. I was quite disappointed to see that Hill did not clinch the title in Estoril. Will Villeneuve get the better of him psychologically ? Will Hill make a mistake or be the victim of mechanical failure in Japan ?

Hill has never been so close to the title,....... its so close and yet so far. Personally, I hope that he wins it as this is his last chance and I'm sure that Jacques talent will provide him with future chances. He must definitely be praised for his superb overtaking manoeuvre on the outside of Michael Schumacher at the fearsome last bend of the Estoril Circuit. After all he was overtaking the World Champion, and although Schumacher seemed to hesitate slightly because of the backmarker, it still took some guts to perform in that manner.

Suzuka will crown the 1996 Formula 1 World Champion, whether its Damon Hill or Jacques Villeneuve, I hope that it will be decided in a fair way without any controversy. Jacques, Damon, good luck and thanks for all the entertainment you provided throughout the 1996 season.

Robert Vassallo-Agius
are9531@s4201.tokyo-u-fish.ac.jp
Japan

Am I cynical or not, was Hill's race lost in the pits by Williams? A contrived taking of the championship to the last race, to keep the TV figures up. Or is Frank Williams demonstrating that his team is more important and more able than any driver?

Just what is going on.

Clive H Jones
clive@mcmmtech.demon.co.uk
U.K

So where will the no.1 label go in 97? I am pretty sure it is not going to be with the Williams team. What exactly is the point of firing someone who has done a lot to get u this far, and hand everything he has accomplished to someone who basically is just a "supposed talent". No offense to Frentzen, he needs a chance to prove how good he is, but u don't remove the most consistently competitive driver from a deserved seat to do so. I never was a Williams fan, lots of reasons, and now that they have just shown why...

I think Frentzen should realize that if he doesn't do well, even in a couple of Grand Prix's, Williams would probably replace him. It seems Frank Williams isn't really too impressed by Mr Villeneuve Lets hope Damon gets a decent ride, i am sure he can take it from there.

Mustafa Hashmi
mhashmi@bayou.uh.edu
USA

I think that McLaren together with Mika Häkkinen will be the winning formula for the coming season. The Mercedes engine has no longer a lack of power and if former Williams designer Newey designs a good car then i can't see no other threat then Ferrari. Because I don't believe that Williams can keep up the distance without Newey anymore. Dimitrios Papadopoulos
xxx@mds.mdh.se
Sweden

As racing fans, we should be proud of Ron Dennis and Norbert Haug for keeping Hakkinen for 1997. Mika has had a brilliant season...especially of late. He has 27 points currently, more than he has ever had, and he is outpacing lightning fast Coulthard. For him to have as good as season as he has had since that Adelaide crash, he is remarkable.

Frentzen's move to Williams is a smart move by Frank Williams. Heinz-Harold is faster than Hill in my mind...and faster than Villenueve. It will be interesting to see him next year. I am going for him because of his ex-girlfriend Corinna, now Michael Schumacher's wife, and his feelings towards that. It is like an opera...who will win the girl? I am wondering who will accompany Herbert at Sauber next season.. Bryn Burns
burns@selway.umt.edu.USA
USA

I, also, have been following F1 racing for something like 30 years now, and I must say that though the drivers, cars, and tracks are certainly the finest in the world, the =racing= has not been so fine of late! It seems as though almost all of the passing this season has been during pit stops. Very disappointing, and something that must be remedied.

Chris Noto
cnoto@freenet.tlh.fl.us
USA

Bob Varsha's comment that Frank Williams' decision of hiring Frentzen based solely on a "reputation" is right to the point. Williams did not make a decision on facts and data by testing Frentzen in one of his cars, but rather through:

1. a comparison between his test driver Bouillon and Frentzen when they raced Sauber together.

2. reputations from the Mercedes people that Frentzen was quicker than Schumacher in their sports cars days

3. possibly films of Frentzen's driving in F1, Japanese F3000 and German F3, or even earlier career performance

Williams' decision, hence, is like a gamble.

In American sports, before the season begins, there is always a try-out period. If you can make the team, great. If you cannot, even if you are the star with a multimillion contract, you are out and will receive no salaries (sometimes one will receive "signing bonus")

Williams should have invited any free-agent driver (and any signed driver who is willing to break his/her contract on his/her own will) who will be eligible to get a superlicense next year to try out his cars. Granted, a fortnight-long testing session can be expensive, especially with multiple drivers that have never driven in F1 before, but the rewards will be great if we can find out that French F3 Champion-elect Soheil Ayari and US PPG-Indy car champion Jimmy Vasser are both quicker and cheaper than Frentzen; or Jean Alesi is faster than Frentzen and he is willing to buy out his own Benetton contract and then drive for Williams for free.

In short, to sign Frentzen without testing him can be at best a good gamble, but to sign him for $7 million without testing him is plain reckless. I would rather spend $4 million dollars to conduct a two-week testing session and then sign two drivers in Benetton-Piquet style performance related bonus contracts (and buying out Villeneuve's contract if neccessary), knowing for sure that I have the best drivers available in my car, that if these two drivers cannot beat Schumacher, at least they would bring home a Constructors Championship next year.

Vince Ho
hbv@slip.net
USA

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