Formula 1
Villeneuve: Hamilton must “be aggressive” to reclaim F1 world title
Formula 1 world champion Jacques Villeneuve says Lewis Hamilton must get over his disappointment of losing the 2021 title to Max Verstappen and “be aggressive” to claim it back.
Charles Bradley Jim Utter
Edited: Jan 17, 2022, 2:30 AM
Copy link
Share on Viber
Villeneuve won his 1997 championship for Williams following a controversial finale at Jerez, where Ferrari’s Michael Schumacher crashed into him as they battled over the title.
Speaking at Daytona, where he was testing ahead of a planned NASCAR Cup Series comeback next month, Villeneuve said the disputed ending to the 2021 F1 season in Abu Dhabi was “good for the sport” as it sets up a narrative for Hamilton to return and avenge his defeat.
“It's good for the sport anyway because Lewis now has to come back and try to win his eighth championship and be aggressive to try to win it,” said Villeneuve.
“Ultimately, it got a lot of ink in the papers. It was slightly controversial, but it always is when it all comes down to the last race.”
Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes W12, battles with Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB16B
Photo by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images
Following his shocking defeat in Abu Dhabi, which cost him a record-breaking eighth championship, Hamilton has been silent on social media leading to suggestions that he could quit F1.
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has said that he “would hope very much that Lewis continues racing” while admitting his star driver was “disillusioned at the moment”.
When asked if he thinks Hamilton will return in 2022, Villeneuve replied: “Well, who knows?
“Nobody expected [Nico] Rosberg to not come back and suddenly he just woke up one morning and told everyone he actually wasn’t passionate about racing in a way. That doesn't seem to be the case with Lewis, but who knows?
“It's a really a pickle to know what's going on in the head of people when the season is very long, you believe you know where it's going to turn out and it doesn't turn out how you expect, and you feel it’s been taken away from you.
“I guess the reaction is quite negative. But you just have to get going again.”
Read Also:
- How Russell sees his place in the Mercedes-Hamilton F1 superteam
- What could Mercedes Plan B look like if Hamilton quits F1
- Top 10 McLaren F1 drivers ranked: Senna, Prost, Hamilton and more
Despite the outcry that followed Abu Dhabi, after which governing body the FIA has vowed to investigate in a detailed analysis of the restart following the last-race safety car, Villeneuve believes that the right man won the 2021 title.
“I guess it depends if you're a fan of Verstappen or a fan of Lewis when it comes to the reaction,” said Villeneuve.
“It was exciting and seeing how the whole season went, Max deserved this championship. He had been on top of it all year – race after race.”
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?
Take our 5 minute survey.
- The Motorsport.com Team
Read and post comments
Read also :
Share Or Save This Story
Copy link
Share on Viber
Previous article Honda quit F1 too early, says motorsport boss Yamamoto
Next article Alonso: Oldest F1 driver tag now gives me an advantage
Top Comments
There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?
View More & Comment
More from
Charles Bradley
Mika Hakkinen on his darkest day in F1
Formula 1
Formula 1 1 y
Mika Hakkinen on his darkest day in F1
Dillon: Spotter was “wrong” to shout “wreck him!” before Hamlin clash
NASCAR Cup
NASCAR Cup
Richmond II
Aug 13, 2024
Dillon: Spotter was “wrong” to shout “wreck him!” before Hamlin clash
Hamlin: NASCAR stripping Dillon of win would be “warranted”
NASCAR Cup
NASCAR Cup
Richmond II
Aug 12, 2024
Hamlin: NASCAR stripping Dillon of win would be “warranted”
More from
Jacques Villeneuve
Jacques Villeneuve calls out Oscar Piastri after costly Azerbaijan GP error: "Rookie mistake"
Formula 1
Formula 1
Azerbaijan GP
1 mo
Jacques Villeneuve calls out Oscar Piastri after costly Azerbaijan GP error: "Rookie mistake"
Jacques Villeneuve defends Red Bull team orders call at F1 Azerbaijan GP
Formula 1
Formula 1
Azerbaijan GP
1 mo
Jacques Villeneuve defends Red Bull team orders call at F1 Azerbaijan GP
Jacques Villeneuve delivers verdict on Esteban Ocon's F1 future
Formula 1
Formula 1
Azerbaijan GP
1 mo
Jacques Villeneuve delivers verdict on Esteban Ocon's F1 future
Latest news
How Qatar red flag helped Johann Zarco put Barcelona crash behind him
MotoGP
MGP MotoGP
Qatar GP
19 min
How Qatar red flag helped Johann Zarco put Barcelona crash behind him
McLaren to upgrade MCL40 car at its bogey F1 track Las Vegas
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1
Las Vegas GP
1 h
McLaren to upgrade MCL40 car at its bogey F1 track Las Vegas
Carson Hocevar and Cleetus McFarland win LeMullets 2026 in epic finish
General
Misc General 5 h
Carson Hocevar and Cleetus McFarland win LeMullets 2026 in epic finish
Feature
Discover prime content
Top 10 F1 cars of the 1970s
Formula 1
By Kevin Turner
Top 10 F1 cars of the 1970s
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.
Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here
Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page
Manage Alerts
Subscribe