Jacques Villenueve: Sergio Perez’s form has collapsed, it was inevitable Esteban Ocon would leave Alpine, too many F1 drivers have ‘zero common sense’
Former F1 World Champion Jacques Villeneuve believes that Sergio Perez’s form has collapsed this season, despite the Mexican signing a two-year extension with Red Bull on Tuesday afternoon.
Speaking to Best Online Poker Sites Villeneuve has also reacted to confirmation of Esteban Ocon’s departure from Alpine at the end of the season, saying it was inevitable that both parties would part ways.
The Canadian also believes that too many F1 drivers nowadays have zero common sense and that they spend too much time on video games and simulators.
Sergio Perez’s form has collapsed, this is his worst season ever at Red Bull
He has had his worst season ever at Red Bull. Normally he would have an amazing first few races. But he hasn’t even had that this year. So, he’s collapsed on top of that! He was already behind Max at the start of the season and now he’s dropped another half a second. That is ten cars on the grid. I don’t know what is going on.
It was inevitable Esteban Ocon and Alpine would part ways, his driving made the decision easy for the team
It’s not surprising to see Esteban Ocon and Alpine part ways. There was no way Alpine could keep two French drivers with Ocon and Pierre Gasly. What’s the point? What’s in it for them?
It’s a French team with two French drivers. So what market are they trying to hit? France only. It doesn’t make sense. There was always going to be one of them leaving. That was obvious. With that kind of move by Ocon at Monaco, he is not the driver you keep. He made the decision easy for the team.
Jack Doohan has to replace Ocon – Alpine have spent millions on his development
It has to be Jack Doohan, who is their reserve driver. They have been spending millions preparing him, making him drive in the old car for three years now. The logic would be to put him in there.
The market is very volatile now. Everyone is waiting to find out what happens to Sainz, what will happen at Williams, Mercedes and of course Haas. There is a lot of movement waiting.
Too many F1 drivers like Ocon and Kevin Magnussen have zero common sense and zero race-craft
Especially with Kevin Magnussen, there is something wrong and there is more and more of it in F1. You see drivers with zero race craft, zero common sense, or understanding of what is actually going on. There is an absence of logic on what is happening on the race track. They have no spatial awareness.
You learn these things in Formula 4 and Formula 3. You don’t even move up if you don’t get it by then. This issue stems from that. They are not taught in the smaller formulas. You wonder in those categories where the marshals are, where are the rulings that need to be made. You see some crazy stuff.
With Ocon, It is not the first time he has done that. It was overly aggressive even if it had not been between team-mates. The overtaking maneuver worked. It was very aggressive and ballsy. But then instead of leaving enough room on the outside he drove as if nobody was there. What was Gasly supposed to do?
It goes in the same category as the Magnussen incident. Where is the comprehension, race craft, logic, understanding of your space? It is not the first time we have found Ocon in these situations.
There are more and more drivers in that spectrum that get to F1. They are quick but all that space awareness and race craft is nowhere. It is crazy. We are talking about the top level of F1.
It took the team to get angry for him to apologise and that was on social media. Not even through the press. He was full of excuses, it ‘s racing, the adrenaline. He was trying to find excuses when there weren’t any. No valid explanation.
If he had just said: ‘I really messed up and went over the top’ that would have been easy.
Drivers nowadays spend too much time on video games and simulators, F1 is not a game
They think they are playing a video game. Does this come from doing too much on the gaming simulators? It is different on the racetrack.
What was Magnussen thinking? He has been around for a long time. The driver in front, in this instance Sergio Perez, won’t be looking in his mirror. You give a quick glimpse, see the guy is not next to you and even if he is getting close, you take your line.
When you are the guy behind, you are the one supposed to be understanding what is happening in front of you and to be able to judge what will happen.
There was obviously no room and a massive crash happened. Then, when he gets out of the car, Magnussen says: ‘He should have given me space.’ We have always been taught that the driver behind is responsible.
The way the rule is written is also a problem. It is written badly. It says the guy in front has to leave room when it should say the guy in front is not allowed to run someone off the track. It is not the same thing. Leaving room means you are driving looking in your mirror and in effect saying: ‘Please go here. I have got to give you space.’ That is not what it is supposed to be.
Whereas if the rule was, you are not allowed to push someone off the track would mean you are not allowed to look in your mirror and squeeze someone else on purpose. It is a fine line. The rule is written giving the responsibility to the guy in front, which is madness, complete madness.
Magnussen should have been banned for one race after Monaco crash – this is F1 not F4
If you want to go side by side you have to be side by side, not your front wing near the rear wheels. What is that all about?
The fact is, Magnussen did not get out of the car and say,’Oops sorry, I completely messed up.‘ Instead, he suggested it should have been the other way.
Excuse me? What planet are we living on? The utter lack of comprehension on Magnussen’s part befuddles me. We are in F1 here, not Formula 4 where a 15 year-old might not have that understanding yet.
And the fact he was not even penalised shows that the system is not neutral. If he had been penalised he would have been banned for one race. They decided not to. Why have the rule in place?
It was massive. It was dangerous. It was ridiculous. And he was 17th and 18th or something. He was not even going for the lead. Come on. First lap and you cannot even judge that. It is mad.
