Jacques Villeneuve’s race engineer Jock Clear believes the Canadian is a better driver than Michael Schumacher.
Jacques Villeneuve’s race engineer Jock Clear firmly believes the Canadian is a better driver than world champion Michael Schumacher.
Clear told Villeneuve’s website JV-world.com that the BAR driver can match the German, but needs the machinery to do this.
“I think that Michael Schumacher is the most complete racing driver in the world in that he knows how to get the best out of the people around him,” said Clear. “But when it comes to driving a racing car then I think that Jacques is a better racing driver than Michael Schumacher.”
Clear said the fact that Schumacher was with a team like Ferrari made a big difference. “Everybody knows that Michael has the whole weight of Ferrari behind him and that Rubens Barrichello has no substantial support. Everyone is there to support Schumacher – and some of the credit for creating that environment must go to Michael.
“Jacques has never wanted that type of situation, and I don’t think he’ll be comfortable in that situation because he’s not that type of guy, but if you take the cynical/business point of view then Michael has put himself in a situation that makes him more competitive,” he said.
“Nobody is under any illusions that when we’re involved in the championship then JV is the guy we will be turning to and saying ‘right, we’ve given you a car that is there or thereabouts, now go and beat Michael Schumacher’, or that he can do that.”