Last week, Vanwall announced that Jacques Villeneuve would not be part of the crew that will enter the 24 Hours of Le Mans, preferring Tristan Vautier to the former Formula 1 world champion.
The thing that struck was the brevity of the communiqué, which did not explain the reasons for this choice, and above all did not leave the Canadian veteran the right to reply.
For his part, Villeneuve took a few days to reflect and then entrusted his version of the facts to a press release, with which he explained that he believed the team’s behavior was not correct, adding that it was a unilateral decision, for which he was not even questioned. This is why he has decided not to continue his relationship with Vanwall even after the 24 Hours.
Below is the full text of the press release released today:
#4 Floyd Vanwall Racing Team Vanwall Vandervell 680: Tom Dillmann, Esteban Guerrieri, Jacques Villeneuve
Photo by: Eric Le Galliot
“I am deeply disappointed to learn of my replacement for the upcoming 24 Hours of Le Mans through a public announcement made by Vanwall Racing Team ByKolles on May 25, 2023. To date, I have not received any official communication from the team, which is even more surprising when you consider that they are still under contract to participate in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.”
“The timing of the release strangely coincided with my imminent arrival at the hospital for the birth of my daughter, which was scheduled for May 26. ByKolles was well aware of this personal family event, which prevented me from responding or addressing this sudden announcement”.
“As a racing family, we have always managed to balance our personal life with our professional career, and racing has always figured prominently. Indeed, my preparation for the 24 Hours of Le Mans was meticulous and well organised.” .
“I have devoted considerable time and effort to achieving maximum physical and mental preparation for this extraordinary challenge which I was looking forward to. After victories in the Indy 500, Indycar and the F1 Championship, the 24 Hours of Le Mans has a special meaning to me.
Accordingly, I deeply regret that the opportunity to participate has been unfairly and arbitrarily denied.”
“Under these circumstances, I have decided not to participate in the remainder of the WEC season with Bykolles. On the contrary, I will redirect my attention and energies towards preparing for a more successful and professionally rewarding 2024 racing season.”
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