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Former World Champion Jacques Villeneuve has launched a scathing attack on the attitude of Kimi Raikkonen and the ability of Giancarlo Fisichella.
Famed for his outspokenness, Villeneuve is in particularly feisty mood for his appraisal of the 2007 grid in the latest edition of F1 Racing Magazine. However, it's Villeneuve's denouncement of Raikkonen, Michael Schumacher's replacement at Ferrari, as "overrated as a driver package" that will capture the most attention.
According to the French/Canadian, Raikkonen isn't on a par with World Champion Fernando Alonso because of his slovenly work ethic. "Apart from jumping in a car and going fast, he really doesn't care about the rest," declares Jacques. "A complete driver will spend time with the engineers, setting up the team and pushing the team. He doesn't give a s**t, so he isn't up there with Alonso."
The deficiency is so damaging, claims Villeneuve, that both Jenson Button and Felipe Massa will offer Alonso a tougher fight for the World Championship. Villeneuve may have been critical of his former team-mates in the past but it is clear that both Massa and Button have since earned his respect.
"He's fast, strong and nothing disturbs him," Jacques says of the Honda man. "But he'll have to be in a position to take a shot at the championship if we're to see if he is as good as Alonso. That's highly probable, because he's at least as good as Kimi."
As for Massa, Villeneuve believes that he will emerge as Ferrari's lead driver in 2007.
"He's intelligent, talented quick. With the right equipment, he can be a title contender. Then we'll see if he's really a great, or just a good, driver. But he could be great.
"Massa will probably take over as team leader. He and Kimi will definitely challenge each other, but Felipe should finish ahead because of his work ethic."
To his evident sadness, Villeneuve is not so complimentary about Renault's Giancarlo Fisichella. "I want to be positive about Fisi because he's a nice guy...but he just doesn't cut it. He's done. Even if he beats Heikki [Kovalainen], I don't think he's got anywhere to go. He's there as a benchmark for Heikki, and then at the end of the season, or even halfway through, they'll put Nelson Piquet Jr in the car."
But there's no such reluctance on Villeneuve's behalf to disparage Robert Kubica, the driver who replaced him at BMW last season. With just the faintest trace of bitterness, Jacques notes: "Kubica is fast but made a mistake in every race last year. Any driver who makes a mistake in almost every race is driving too fast for themselves.
"And he's very hard on his machinery, and I don't think he'll be capable of changing his driving style enough to suit the harder Bridgestones. If he can be more gentle, then he could be up there. But it'll get really interesting from 2008 when he goes without traction control."
As we said, just the faintest trace of bitterness.
What Jacques Says About The Other Drivers
On Nick Heidfeld: "He's a team driver and a hard worker. Sometimes too hard. There comes a point where you just have to go to bed."
On Rubens Barrichello: "Rubens is better than he showed last year. He just couldn't adapt to the car, and every driver can have that."
On David Coulthard: "The way he speaks is amazing...He should be running a country or something."
On Lewis Hamilton: "A very nice character...He's quick but green."
On Jarno Trulli: "I think he's overly tense and wears himself out when he doesn't need to."
On Tonio Liuzzi: "Nothing special...I don't see how he can be perceived as a serious driver."
On Scott Speed: "He hasn't shown anything to justify his place in F1."
On Christijan Albers: "A nasty, dirty driver."
On recovering crashaholic Takuma Sato: "At Aguri, he's stopped doing stupid things, but only by driving slower."
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