Been talking to Jacques David?
JACQUES Villeneuve has delivered an astonishing personal broadside at seven-times formula one champion Michael Schumacher, whom he has branded a liar who uses dirty tricks to win races.
In a report published in London's Guardian newspaper, Villeneuve said the German had nothing like the charisma or star quality of his championship-winning predecessors Ayrton Senna, Nigel Mansell and Alain Prost, and that fans will quickly forget Schumacher when he stops racing.
"He's a racer, but a pure racer, nothing but a racer and, because of that, I think the day he hangs up his helmet, people will just forget him," said Villeneuve, who left formula one after being replaced in the BMW-Sauber team by Robert Kubica.
"Senna, by contrast, will never be forgotten. Some of that is the James Dean factor, of course, because he was killed in action at a young age, but not all of it. I don't even think Michael will live on in people's memories as strong or as long as Prost has — certainly not as strong or as long as Mansell has. Those people attained a hero status that Michael never has and never will."
The Canadian points to this year's unseemly Monaco Grand Prix as an example of Schumacher's real character. Having set a quick time in qualifying, he brought his car to a stop on the track, blocking the narrow circuit and preventing his main rival, Fernando Alonso, from completing his own hot lap.
For Villeneuve, the echoes of his own run-in with Schumacher at Jerez in 1997 were all too clear. During that year's European Grand Prix, Schumacher's Ferrari collided with Villeneuve's Williams, but Villeneuve was still able to claim the title.
"Michael simply isn't a great champion because he's played too many dirty tricks and because he isn't a great human being," said Villeneuve. "Yes, Senna played dirty tricks, too, but he did it with more class, more integrity. When he took Prost out at Suzuka in 1990, he said he was going to do it before the race.
"So, unlike Michael, who ridiculously insisted he was innocent at Monaco this year, Senna said, 'Yes, I did it. But I told you before the race that I was going to do it.' … Senna wasn't lying to the fans. Michael was."
The full interview with Villeneuve will be published next week in F1 Racing magazine.
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