Villeneuve driving in agony

[Jay]

from autorace.com:

BAR driver, Jacques Villeneuve has been forced to drive through the pain barrier in the 2001 season, still suffering from back pains following his accident in the opening race of the 2001 season in Australia.

News of the World reported that Villeneuve had a doctor on standby for the Austrian GP and has been for numerous X-rays and a MRI scan in an effort to alleviate the pain caused by a displaced disc in his spine.

Villeneuve was quoted as saying: "It is not going to keep me from racing. It was good to have some time off from testing to help it get better but it really needs a long break and it is not goingto get that in the middle of a busy season. It hurts on the bumps and the kerbs but I have to live with it."

A team insider also said: "Everyone has been really impressed by the way he is handling it. He is sometimes in terrible agony and really should take a few months off to let it mend completely but he will not contemplate missing any races. He is trying to deal with it quietly with his physio."

My question here is: Is it really worth the trouble? I think JV might be smarter to take a few months off, get healed up, and come back 100%, rather than racing around in pain. Olivier has done better than Jacques so far, and it would be great to give one of BAR's test drivers the opportunity. Your thoughts?

[JeremySmith]

Yes why bother to drive in that much agony..Poor bloke, I had no idea

[RussianFriend]

Quite childish of him. He doesn't think about the future, such traumas never goes without serious consequenses.

As long s JV doesn't fight for WDC, it's better for him to recover his health instead of playing hero.

Poor boy! Why nobody could explain him it?

[Airhead]

But,

While TGW leads the WDC the rest of us are forced to watch in agony with no respite.

I'd say we had it worse than Jacques.

[Run Free]

Originally posted by Jay
My question here is: Is it really worth the trouble? I think JV might be smarter to take a few months off, get healed up, and come back 100%, rather than racing around in pain. Olivier has done better than Jacques so far, and it would be great to give one of BAR's test drivers the opportunity. Your thoughts?

Panis has not done better than Jacques . Even with his terrible back pain and all the problem HIS CAR had Jacques has always outraced Oliver and has reached a podium, and is only 1 point behind Panis, who had not the back pain nor all the mechanical gremlins and back luck Jacques had so far.
Panis just can't deliver much more than the very lucky 5th place he delivered last Sunday (and note that in the race Jacques was about half a second faster than him).
Anyway I think that Bar doesn't deserve to have Jacques tout court, and for sure it really isn't worth the trouble. But it's Jacques' decision and I will support him more than ever. BTW, the only race in which both his car and his team worked well, Jacques reached the podium in spite of his back pain , so his decision to race seems to be correct, at least until Bar works properly; the problem is that BAR worked for Jacques only one sunday this season so far.

[Maxmil]

Having gone through two successful disc operations, I would strongly advise Jacques to take the time off and get the problem attended to if that's what his Docs say is best. Even if he does not have the operation, he should be flat on his back for two weeks which is another course of treatment which I have endured. It's not the ailment you want to fool around with.

[Orange]

Here is the catch... If BAR does not perform this year (ie. get 4th place in WCC) Jaques is gone. He has said as much. This is a nigh on impossible goal if Jaques sits out one or two races... they will need every point they can get. This seems like a lose-lose situation for BAR.

[Ralf's Girl]

If Villeneuve is in really serious pain, it's very foolish of him to carry on racing. He's being very silly by not thinking of the long-term effects; he should take time off to recover because the doctors know better than he does.

[R]

Jacques racing in spite of having back problems just underlines the fact that he's a determined fighter, and I love him for it.

Run Free - I agree with you. When Jacques doesn't have a gremlin in his car or team, he's able to drag a podium finish out of that car in spite of those back problems. That speaks in volumes of that man's attitude.

[Ralf's Girl]

Originally posted by R
Jacques racing in spite of having back problems just underlines the fact that he's a determined fighter, and I love him for it.

But being so determined could result in long-term damage to his back and that is far more serious than taking some time off from racing to come back fully fit.

[senna12]

I also applaud Jacques for remaining in the car. He wishes to make no excuses for the car or himself, and has been better than Olivier in the races when bad luck hasn't hit. He also drove the spare car in Austria, and apparently he hates it.

I guess it's a bit of the old mans stubborness coming through, so he can't really help it.