Jacques Villeneuve speaks to Spin Casino about all things F1...and ice hockey!
Jacques Villeneuve: This season’s Montreal Grand Prix was ‘disappointing and embarrassing’, my world championship celebration at the old Forum was ‘one of the proudest moments of my life’
Canadian F1 icon and former world champion Jacques Villeneuve has described this season’s Montreal Grand Prix as disappointing and embarrassing and has backed the FIA’s decision to move the race weekend from June to May from 2026.
Speaking to Spin Casino, Villeneuve has also looked back on the celebrations around Montreal when he won the world championship in 1997, saying that the coronation at the Canadiens’ home at the old Forum was one of the proudest moments of his life.
The 53-year-old also weighs in on the impact of expert designer Adrian Newey at Aston Martin and how this will have on Villeneuve’s compatriot, Lance Stroll, as well as discussing GM-Cadillac’s arrival to F1 from 2026.
Q. What does ice hockey mean to you?
JV: “I love it. It’s a big part of my life that I’m missing. That’s not because I grew up watching it in Quebec, but because I grew up in Europe. But being a Canadian, it's kind of a known thing. You just love hockey, even if you don't know what it is. It's part of your blood.
“But growing up in Switzerland, I've always played hockey and I had my own team in the mountains when I lived there with some ex-players. In Switzerland, there’s a garage league in every village and you can play twice a week.
“It's a lot of fun. It’s a great sport, it's aggressive, it's physical, it's fast, and it's good cardio training. Right now, I'm playing with my two elder sons, my 18 and 17-year-old. We're in a team together. We practice, we train with a bunch of other guys, so that's cool. My 11-year-old is playing as well.”
Q. Who do you support? The Canadiens?
JV: “Montreal, obviously. I still have my season tickets there. I don’t go very much.
“The problem is when we go into the F1 season, the hockey season is over. But as they've changed the dates for two years down the road, this will be during the play-offs. So that would be amazing. The Canadiens are having a rough time this season.”
Q. What’s the issue?
JV: “They’re reconstructing, but we’ve been hearing that for years. So I am not sure what to think.
“It’s difficult to follow from Europe because of the timings and with all the travelling we do with racing, you kind of lose track.
Q. You had your ‘97 world title celebration in their stadium, didn't you?
JV: “Yes, in the old forum. It was crazy because it was packed and it was mesmerizing. I didn't know what to think. I wasn't expecting that kind of attention. And then that's when I really realised what I had accomplished. Because it wasn't at a race track.
“This was after, in town, and they came purposely in the forum to say congratulations. That's a feeling that I cannot explain. It really touched me, and it wasn't expected.”
Q. Was that one of the proudest moments of your life?
JV: “I would say so, because it's easy when you're on a podium. You just won a race.
“This is people giving you something back. It's incredible. And in the same period, I was also at a hockey game in Montreal, and they did a seven-minute standing ovation. They had to stop it! So that was embarrassing.
“There was the Montreal team which understood, but playing with an American team and I'm sure they were like, okay, who's that dude? What's going on? I was a bit embarrassed, but it was crazy.”
Q. The big rivalry is with the Maple Leafs. Can they win the Stanley Cup this year?
JV: “It's surprising how once you get in the cup, teams can play differently. Some teams that have been amazing throughout the whole season, once the pressure is on, when it's money time, they collapse. And other teams that were average, they actually really get together when it's time to go and win.
“The season is only there to get the points to be in a good place for the playoffs. And then the playing starts to be very different.”
Q. Would you like to have played at a higher level?
JV: “No, I'm happy to still have my nose and my teeth.
“I'm a little bit small. I never entertained the idea of a sport other than car racing or maybe skiing. These are the only sports or career that I could have envisaged. Mainly motor racing.”
Q. What position do you play? Or did you play? Or do you like to play?
JV: “I'll play centre or one of the wings. I wouldn't know what to do in defence. And I'm tiny as well, so defence doesn't work really well.”
Q. How do you rate the health of the NHL? Is it struggling against all the big North American sports?
JV: “There's so many world championships in North America! You have NFL, baseball, basketball and hockey. Soccer is becoming big. Now, F1 is big. It's hard to fit in there. But hockey has its own towns, its own people. It’s not doing bad.”
Q. Would you like to own a franchise if you could? Maybe the Canadiens?
JV: “I wouldn’t be an expert in the politics and the business of it. So I‘m not sure I would know what to do with it.
“If you talk about owning a team and being involved, then it would have to be F1 because that's what I know. That's what I love the most. And that's where I can be the best.”
Q. Is there still a possibility then if the opportunity arose?
JV: “If there was an opportunity, I would jump at it. To be involved in a team in the same way that Nikki Lauda was involved. That's a position that would really suit me.”
Q. Any particular team?
JV: “No, the team doesn't matter. It's the position. Whatever team you get to work with becomes your team and you want to win. The same thing as when you're a driver. You change teams, you didn't just stay with one team because it felt like it was family. At some point you move because you have to perform.”
Q. What about the move of the Montreal GP date?
JV: “Often in May, the weather is better than June. It doesn't make a difference other than it might be a better month.
“There's a good chance of it being the beginning of summer in the heat when people really start going.
“In that sense, May might be a better moment. Last year, the day after the race, Montreal felt like a ghost town. There were issues with traffic. It was like the government didn’t want the race there.
“It was awful, nobody was there. It felt like an abandoned city. It was the oddest thing. It was very disappointing, embarrassing as well. So, May might be a much better timing for everyone.”
Q. Lance Stroll, Aston Martin. What impact will Newey have on his career?
JV: “Adrian Newey cannot design a car alone. He needs the driver's input. He needs the right driver's input and he needs the right people around him, which he will build over time.
“The factory that's been built seems to be amazing, but it takes a while for the wind tunnel to work properly.
“It will take time. But Newey will get there in time. The goal for Lawrence [Stroll] is to get his son to become a world champion. That's why he's putting so much money down. That's why he's doing all this. Can it happen? Who knows.”
Q. Lance has now raced in more Grand Prix than you did? Does that mean anything?
JV: “He was asked that question himself and his answer was well, there's more races now. But what he wants is to be more competitive, obviously.
“The amount of races you do is not something that has much value.”
Q. And do you think he still needs to work on his persona?
JV: “It's important to be liked in this industry. If you win every race like Verstappen, you can maybe be liked a little bit less.
“But at some point it comes back to bite you. When you're liked, you end up going faster because everybody behind you is pushing you, helping you. Same thing that happens then with the mechanics. It's a general energy. So, it is important.”
Q. What’s your reaction to General Motors and Cadillac’s arrival to F1 for 2026?
JV: “It is big news. It has been a long and arduous process. It has not been a straight road. It is good news just before Christmas and now that the drivers’ championship is over.
“F1 has always been into engine manufacturers. This is what the sport has been wanting. There has been movement on both sides, FOM Liberty and the GM / Andretti bid. This has opened the door to a road that was tortuous. Too much had been said which was not positive.
“It is a manufacturer that has not been in F1 before. It is an American manufacturer which is good. Ultimately it is good for F1 and good for everyone.
“Some teams won’t be happy because they will see the F1 cake having an extra slice. But if the cake grows bigger, then an extra slice would not be an issue.”
Q. Would you go as far as calling this a game changer for F1?
JV: “This is a significant moment for the sport. It is a new constructor and from overseas which is not the norm, and which is good. When you have only ten teams it only takes one to stop and you are kind of in trouble. It gives more freedom. The sport can’t be held to ransom so much.”
Q. Having Mario Andretti is important with his pedigree in the sport?
JV: “Yes, but F1 is so big now. He is a big name mainly in north America. In Europe, he is a big name in the racing industry.”
Q. It’s important that General Motors go at it properly?
JV: “Yes, it is. If they do it the way Alpine was doing it, then it will be worthless. If they do it the way that Mercedes and Ferrari have been doing it, then that is very different and definitely worthwhile. It depends on what their approach is.
“If it is just to benefit from how big F1 is nowadays then it won’t serve any purpose to F1.
“We don’t know what is behind GM's thinking but if it is to actually be competitive, bring something to the sport and really be involved that is great news.”
Q. A conglomerate like GM isn’t going to go into this half-heartedly?
JV: “GM will I am sure be doing their utmost to be successful. If they do an awful job, it will damage their brands in their other categories as well. If they get into F1 and run last and way off the pace will damage everything else they are doing. They can’t afford it to go wrong.
“F1 is the biggest brand in the world and everyone wants to profit from it.”
Q. The other good aspect is that it will open up two more seats at a time when the young talent pool is the deepest it has been for many years?
JV: “That is good either for young talent or even for established talent. It gives more room for drivers to play with and strengthens their hand.
“Teams might make bigger efforts to get the drivers they want because drivers will have more choice to go somewhere else.”
Q. Who might be a good driving option? You need expertise and experience as well as precious talent to help to develop a team?
JV: “Originally a lot of the financial backing for the team involved contacts with Colton Hurta the Indycar driver. Colton has been sponsored by Dan Towriss, the CEO of Group 1001, the insurance group.
“Dan is also now the lead figure behind the General Motors entry into F1 as Andretti Global’s CEO.
“Hurta was always the name being mentioned. All he needed was his super license. I am sure he is in the picture. An American driver in an American team would be huge for marketing.
“You also need an experienced driver in the other one, an experienced driver with talent which is not always the same thing.”
Q. Could that be someone like Carlos Sainz?
JV: “For a team like this, Sainz is exactly the right type because he keeps helping teams build. That is why Williams took him and I am not sure they would be willing to let him go for 2026.
“I am sure the Cadillac team has already been inundated by calls from managers and drivers. They will all be saying. ‘I am the perfect one to help you build your team.’
“It won’t be easy for them because a driver with the necessary experience at a top team would not be happy just to be part of building a team. It would not be a first choice destination for any of the top drivers.”
Q. How long could it take to get competitive?
JV: “They will be coming in with a very good engine to start with; Ferrari or Mercedes.
“As we have seen even the smaller teams are not that far off in F1 now. Look at how competitive Haas is. Alpine have had a two/three this season and qualified third. It doesn’t take that much if they do it properly.
“The rule set is very restrictive which makes it easier. They only have a year to get ready. Andretti has already made a start but that’s not long.
“I don’t know how the budget cap will work for them. Will 2025 include the budget cap for them for the design of the new car? Or does their budget cap start in 2026?
“If they don’t have to remain in a budget cap in 2025 then they can really get up to speed very quickly. That would be paramount. You don’t want to see GM running at the back.”
Q. Having an extra team is a positive development?
JV: “I have always thought F1 should have more cars and more teams. There is room for more teams. I don’t know what the rules allow but in my opinion 13 teams is a good number, and 26 cars on the grid. That would be the absolute maximum.”
Q. How does GM attract the people with the right technical skills, like an Adrian Newey type figure?
JV: “Money! It is a business. It will be expensive for them because it is a new team and nobody with a good reputation and who is renowned will just jump at it. It will take a bunch of money.”
