Jacques Villeneuve’s return to System 1 at Renault for the inaugural Chinese language Grand Prix in 2004 was a seminal second in Franck Montagny’s profession. Then a take a look at driver for Renault, he had been the logical selection for the seat vacated by Toyota-bound Jarno Trulli. However as a substitute it was 1997 world champion Villeneuve who obtained the nod for the ultimate three races of 2004 alongside Fernando Alonso.
Montagny says his contract “was clear that I used to be getting within the automotive” if one of many common drivers wanted changing. But it surely didn’t play out that approach. He needed to wait till mid-2006, when he made his F1 race debut on the tail-end Tremendous Aguri outfit, after being missed for the cameo at Renault after which for a drive at Sauber additionally taken by Villeneuve for 2005.
Occasions had been set in movement by Trulli’s early departure from Renault. The Italian’s impending transfer to Toyota for 2005 was introduced ahead after a disappointing efficiency on the Italian Grand Prix, his final for the group he’d joined for 2002 instead of Giancarlo Fisichella. However the driver Renault boss Flavio Briatore had signed as his alternative, Fisichella, was nonetheless contracted to Sauber till the top of 2004. Renault due to this fact wanted a stop-gap.
On the face of it, a number of components appeared to favour Montagny. The 2-time Dallara Nissan champion was much better acquainted with the automotive than every other choice obtainable, having accomplished 14 take a look at days within the R24 and 50 with the group previous to Trulli’s exit.
Villeneuve hadn’t pushed an F1 automotive in anger since his acrimonious departure from BAR on the eve of the 2003 Japanese Grand Prix, 11 months earlier than. It was removed from a certainty he’d have the ability to adapt rapidly to the Michelin tyres both, having raced on Bridgestones whereas at BAR.
There appeared little draw back to Renault giving a debut to a Frenchman. Though Briatore harboured ambitions of beating BAR to second within the constructors’ championship, there was realistically little driving on the top of the season except Trulli’s alternative might hit the bottom operating instantly and match group chief Alonso.
In what could possibly be deemed a profitable season, it had already recorded a win courtesy of Trulli in Monaco, and the respective struggles of Williams and McLaren meant Renault was unlikely to overlook out on third. Furthermore, with out the strain of competing for a full-time race seat, the race outings would certainly solely increase Montagny’s enter into testing the 2005 automotive.
Selling take a look at driver Montagny appeared to take advantage of sense for Renault, however he was left on the sidelines wanting in
Picture by: Sutton Photos
“Every part was set, we had nothing to show anymore with the automotive, the group was ok for the 12 months,” displays Montagny. “I used to be certain to get within the automotive. I had a variety of mileage within the automotive, a couple of races to go, so let’s get the third driver within the automotive, it’s a French man, with a French group, it was good so nothing to lose.”
However in F1 issues are not often ever so simple. Behind the scenes, the wheels had been already turning to carry Villeneuve again.
Given the circumstances of his exit from BAR, there could possibly be few extra motivated to wade into battle towards it than Villeneuve. And the PR attraction of getting considered one of solely two energetic world champions on the grid in Renault colors – the opposite being Ferrari’s Michael Schumacher, who had already secured his fifth straight title at Spa – proved an excessive amount of for Briatore to withstand.
“I used to be only a third driver, with no background. He was a world champion, Jacques Villeneuve, so what are you able to do?”
Franck Montagny
Montagny remembers the second Briatore apologetically knowledgeable him that Villeneuve would take over his automotive for a take a look at at Silverstone three days after the Italian GP. He felt assured that he could be faster.
“When he advised me that, I used to be like ‘okay, I’ve no downside with that’ as a result of I used to be used to the automotive,” he says. “Even when Jacques was coming, I used to be fairly certain I’d be sooner.”
Villeneuve spent a day within the automotive earlier than Montagny joined him aboard Alonso’s vacated machine for the ultimate day. The uncooked occasions present that Villeneuve was 1.7s faster, however Montagny stresses that doesn’t inform the complete story as a result of differing nature of their programmes. In any case, Briatore’s thoughts was made up.
“That’s the way in which it’s, you possibly can’t cope with it,” Montagny sighs. “I used to be only a third driver, with no background. He was a world champion, Jacques Villeneuve, so what are you able to do?”
Engineer Tim Wright labored for Renault’s take a look at group on the time and remembers Montagny as “a totally good man” who willingly chipped in with such a humble activity as cleansing the truck.
Montagny was popular with Renault for his testing enter and Wright believes he deserved his probability
Picture by: Mike Weston / Motorsport Images
“I am undecided why he did not get the break he deserved with Renault as a full-time driver as a result of he definitely had the expertise,” notes Wright. “His suggestions was good, he was highly regarded with the entire group and would have fitted in.”
Historical past reveals that Villeneuve’s comeback was not successful. Faring no higher than Trulli had, he didn’t register any factors, which on the time had been awarded right down to eighth place. He adopted up an eleventh place end in Shanghai, the place he at the very least beat Schumacher after a uncommon off-day for the Ferrari man, with equally circumspect outings at Suzuka and Interlagos that yielded a pair of 10ths.
With Alonso unable to hassle the rostrum within the closing stanza, Renault remained in third. But it surely mattered little to Villeneuve, who had shaken off some rust previous to taking on Fisichella’s seat at Sauber.
“It was not good for the group, it was simply good for Jacques and good for the championship,” remarks Montagny. “Michael [Schumacher] was successful the whole lot at the moment and abruptly you carry again a world champion for the top of the 12 months, it’s sort of higher for the TV present. And that’s precisely what they did.”
However Montagny doesn’t go so far as suggesting he would have finished a greater job.
“I’m not the one who’s going to say that,” he replies when Autosport poses the query. “I don’t know. You don’t know the way it goes, I’d by no means finished a race earlier than. If I’d finished the identical [as Villeneuve], it’s already good.”
Wright is nevertheless assured that Montagny wouldn’t have let the group down. “I am certain Franck would have finished a greater job, particularly as he had examined alongside Alonso and knew how the group operated,” he suggests.
Montagny’s disappointment didn’t finish there. He says talks with Peter Sauber over becoming a member of the Swiss squad to interchange Fisichella for 2005 floor to a halt when it grew to become clear Villeneuve was Renault’s stand-in selection.
Villeneuve was lapped by winner Barrichello on his return in China
Picture by: Rainer W. Schlegelmilch / Motorsport Images
“Sauber simply after that advised me; ‘if your personal group doesn’t need you within the automotive and there’s no cause that they don’t provide the alternative, you perceive that I’m somewhat bit on the sting to get you within the automotive,’” says Montagny. “That for me was clearly the top.”
Montagny did make it onto the F1 grid in 2006 when he changed Yuji Ide, whose superlicence had been revoked by the FIA. However the SA05 he drove for seven grands prix was primarily based on a 2002 Arrows and Montagny states his aged chassis wherein he managed a finest end of sixteenth at Monaco and Magny-Cours was 12 kilos heavier than that pushed by his team-mate Takuma Sato.
“I see myself sort of fairly fortunate already, even when I didn’t have an opportunity to get in a automotive with Renault [in a race]”
Franck Montagny
“I knew the automotive was not going to carry out in any respect,” he explains. “It was simply to start out a System 1 [race], I accepted only for that.”
Twenty years on, Canal+ TV pundit Montagny maintains he’s not bitter over the missed alternative at Renault in 2004.
“I had the possibility already to drive the automotive, to be a world champion as a take a look at driver with Renault [in 2005],” he concludes. “I see myself sort of fairly fortunate already, even when I didn’t have an opportunity to get in a automotive with Renault [in a race]. I had the possibility to be a part of the System 1 circus, I’m nonetheless working in System 1, I’m a cheerful man.”
Montagny did make it onto the F1 grid in 2006 with Tremendous Aguri, but it surely was a desperately uncompetitive bundle primarily based on a four-year-old chassis
Picture by: Mark Capilitan