From: chrisj@dircon.co.uk (Christine Johnston) Newsgroups: rec.autos.sport.f1 Subject: Secret Diary of Jacques Villeneuve - Belgium Date: Tue, 26 Aug 1997 22:37:35 +0000 Organization: Dircon Lines: 76 Message-ID: <19970826223735494395@th-eng10-013.pool.dircon.co.uk> NNTP-Posting-Host: th-eng10-013.pool.dircon.co.uk X-Newsreader: MacSOUP 2.2 Thursday, 21 August To Spa for the Belgian GP. Having thought hard about this race weekend I decided to not only do my roots but to make it a lighter shade too. If Michael can be King of Spa then I can definitely be King of l'Oreal. I wonder if they've ever considered F1 personal sponsorship. Arrived at the circuit to find a bunfight in progress between Damon and McLaren. As I said to Craig, at least you'll never find me driving for a third rate team. Craig looked up from his BAT Minardi papers and agreed that this was not very likely. A bunch of photographers then descended upon us and Craig hustled me into the motorhome yelling 'No close ups! No close ups!' at them. For sure its difficult to remember sometimes which photographers have paid and which haven't. Maybe Craig can have caps made for them. Friday, 22 August For sure they say I'm no good in the wet but as I made my way to the circuit in the teeming rain I decided that this was the time to show them they were wrong. At the end of the session there was pure awe in Patrick's voice as he kept saying 'Bloody 17th!' and I think HHF is losing it as he came over and curiously said 'Have you tried putting wets on?' Obviously my fine times in the wet are putting him under great mental pressure. And I see Michael is struggling up in 5th behind Damon's still blatantly illegal Arrows. Saturday, 23 August I am cool. I am calm. I am majestic. I am on pole..... and Michael is down in 3rd. Better still, Eddie is back in 17th and even though I think he's capable of anything I have been assured that he cannot reach me from there. As I bask in the glow from the press I feel sure that my run of bad luck is now at an end and that the race tomorrow shall be mine. I have checked with the trusty Williams weather guy and he confirms it will be dry and sunny for the race. As I make my way back to the motorhome HHF arrives on the back of a scooter to be met by Patrick. Patrick was just starting on 'damaged the car and only just managed to qualify in front of a pair of Arrows...' when I closed the motorhome door. Frank was inside and I thought this would be a good time to talk about contracts for 98 but he wheeled off saying 'All in good time'. I mentioned this to Craig as he was putting a photograph of me with Ristorante Luigi written on the frame into a bag with a few others. 'Frank would never dream of getting rid of his potential WC' he said as he put in another with Pierre's Frites-to-Go written down the side. As I handed him one saying Liege Bar & Snack Grill I caught sight of Damon through the window heading down to his end of the pit lane and for sure I suddenly didn't feel too good. Sunday, 24 August As I sat on the grid and it started to bucket down I felt I would now be able to give a good display of my racing prowess in the wet. As I shared this with Patrick he strangely wasn't listening to me but looking at the rain and muttering 'Oh Bugger'. I was well in command of the race. Then the safety car pulled in and suddenly Michael's Ferrari shot past me and headed off into the distance. Obviously my tyres were to blame and I immediately demanded from the team a set of the same tyres. Despite their protests this was done but something else must have been wrong with the car as I was nowhere near as fast as Michael with the same tyres. As the track dried out further I changed onto slicks and pondered my bad luck and misfortune. My reverie was disturbed by Patrick yelling 'Wake up!' down the radio and thereupon I managed a stunning comeback drive all the way up to 6th. In the pitlane after the race as Michael celebrated on the podium I bumped into Damon and empathised with him about making the same tyre choices. Obviously tired from the race he stared to giggle hysterically and said 'Yes, it might have cost me the championship too!'. Back at the motorhome HHF was stating his case to Frank: 'Did you see Damon try and run me off the road? Did you?! Did you?!' Five more races to go and for sure it can't rain at all of them. I will have Michael. Oh yes.