Jacques Villeneuve’s return to Formula 1 with Renault for the first Chinese Grand Prix in 2004 was a defining moment in Franck Montagny’s career. Then a test driver at Renault, he was the logical choice for the seat vacated by Jarno Trulli, on his way to Toyota. But it was 1997 world champion Villeneuve who got the nod for the final three races of 2004 alongside Fernando Alonso.
Montagny said his contract “clearly stipulated that I would get in the car” if one of the regular drivers had to be replaced. But it didn’t happen that way. He had to wait until mid-2006, when he made his F1 debut with the Super Aguri team, having been overlooked for his appearance at Renault and then for a drive at Sauber also taken by Villeneuve in 2005.
The events were triggered by Trulli’s early departure from Renault. The Italian’s imminent move to Toyota for 2005 was brought forward after a disappointing performance at the Italian Grand Prix, his last for the team he joined in 2002 in place of Giancarlo Fisichella. But the driver that Renault boss Flavio Briatore had recruited to replace him, Fisichella, was still under contract with Sauber until the end of 2004. Renault therefore needed a stopgap.
At first glance, several factors seemed to favor Montagny. Two-time champion Dallara Nissan knew the car far better than any other option available, having completed 14 days of testing in the R24 and 50 with the team before Trulli left.
Villeneuve had not driven an angry F1 car since his acrimonious departure from BAR on the eve of the 2003 Japanese Grand Prix, 11 months previously. He was also unsure whether he would be able to adapt quickly to Michelin tires, having raced on Bridgestones while at BAR.
There was little downside to Renault giving a Frenchman its debut. Even though Briatore harbored ambitions of beating BAR into second place in the constructors’ championship, there was hardly much left to ride at the end of the season unless Trulli’s replacement could hit the ground running and compete with team leader Alonso.
In what could be considered a successful season, Renault had already recorded one victory thanks to Trulli at Monaco, and the respective struggles of Williams and McLaren meant Renault were unlikely to miss out on third place. Plus, without the pressure of competing for a full-time racing seat, racing outings would surely only strengthen Montagny’s contribution to testing the 2005 car.
Promoting test driver Montagny seemed like the most logical solution for Renault, but he was left out.
Photo by: Sutton Images
“Everything was settled, we had nothing more to prove with the car, the team was good enough for the year,” says Montagny. “I was sure to get in the car. I had a lot of mileage in the car, a few races to do, so let’s put the third driver in the car, he’s a Frenchman, with a French team, it was good so nothing to lose.
But in F1, things are rarely that simple. Behind the scenes, the wheels were already turning to bring Villeneuve back.
Given the circumstances of his exit from BAR, there might be few people more motivated to take the fight to him than Villeneuve. And the PR appeal of having one of only two active world champions on the grid in Renault colors – the other being Ferrari’s Michael Schumacher, who had already won his fifth consecutive title at Spa – s It proved too much for Briatore to resist.
“I was only a third driver, with no experience. He was a world champion, Jacques Villeneuve, so what can you do?”
Franck Montagny
Montagny remembers the moment Briatore apologetically informed him that Villeneuve would be taking his car back for a test at Silverstone three days after the Italian GP. He was convinced he would be faster.
“When he told me that, I was like, ‘Okay, I have no problem with that’ because I was used to the car,” he says. “Even if Jacques came, I was sure I would be faster.
Villeneuve spent a day in the car before Montagny joined him aboard Alonso’s liberated machine for the final day. Raw times show Villeneuve was 1.7 seconds faster, but Montagny points out that doesn’t tell the whole story due to the different nature of their programs. In any case, Briatore’s decision was made.
“It’s like that, we can’t manage that,” sighs Montagny. “I was only a third pilot, with no experience. He was world champion, Jacques Villeneuve, so what can you do?
Engineer Tim Wright worked for Renault’s testing team at the time and remembers Montagny as a “really nice guy” who happily took part in such a humble task as cleaning the truck.
Montagny was highly regarded by Renault for his testing contributions and Wright believes he deserved his chance.
Photo by: Mike Weston / Motorsport Images
“I don’t know why he didn’t get the chance he deserved with Renault as a full-time driver, because he certainly had the talent,” notes Wright. “His feedback was good, he was very popular with the whole team and would have fit in.”
History shows that Villeneuve’s return was not a success. Faring no better than Trulli, he failed to record any points, which at the time was attributed to eighth place. He followed that up with an 11th place finish at Shanghai, where he at least beat Schumacher after a rare day off for the Ferrari driver, with equally circumspect outings at Suzuka and Interlagos earning him two 10ths.
With Alonso unable to disrupt the podium in the final stanza, Renault remained third. But that didn’t matter to Villeneuve, who had shaken off some rust before taking Fisichella’s seat at Sauber.
“It wasn’t good for the team, it was just good for Jacques and good for the championship,” remarks Montagny. “Michael [Schumacher] we won everything at that time and suddenly you bring back a world champion for the end of the year, it’s a little better for the TV show. And that’s exactly what they did.
But Montagny doesn’t go so far as to suggest he would have done a better job.
“It’s not me who’s going to say that,” he replies when Autosport asks the question. “I have no idea. You don’t know how it goes, I’ve never done a race before. If I had done the same thing [as Villeneuve]It’s already good.
Wright, however, is convinced that Montagny would not have let the team down. “I’m sure Franck would have done a better job, especially since he had tested alongside Alonso and knew how the team worked,” he suggests.
Montagny’s disappointment did not end there. He says discussions with Peter Sauber about joining the Swiss team to replace Fisichella for 2005 were cut short when it became clear that Villeneuve was Renault’s replacement.
Villeneuve was overtaken by winner Barrichello on his return to China
Photo by: Rainer W. Schlegelmilch / Motorsport Images
“Sauber told me straight after; “If your own team doesn’t want you in the car and there’s no reason why they shouldn’t give you the opportunity, you understand that I’m kind of about to move you up in the car,” Montagny said. “For me, it was clearly the end.”
Montagny entered the F1 grid in 2006, replacing Yuji Ide, whose superlicense had been revoked by the FIA. But the SA05 he drove for seven Grands Prix was based on a 2002 Arrows and Montagny says his old chassis in which he managed a 16th place at Monaco and Magny-Cours weighed 12 kilos more than the one driven by his teammate Takuma Sato. .
“I already consider myself quite lucky, even if I didn’t have the chance to get into a car with Renault. [in a race]”
Franck Montagny
“I knew the car was not going to perform well at all,” he explains. “It was just to start a Formula 1 [race]I accepted just for that.
Two decades later, Montagny, a Canal+ specialist, says he is not bitter about the missed opportunity at Renault in 2004.
“I already had the chance to drive the car, to be a world champion as a test driver at Renault. [in 2005]», he concludes. “I already consider myself quite lucky, even if I didn’t have the chance to get into a car with Renault. [in a race]. I was lucky enough to be part of the Formula 1 circus, I still work in Formula 1, I’m a happy guy.
Montagny first entered the F1 grid in 2006 with Super Aguri, but it was a desperately uncompetitive package based on a four-year-old chassis.
Photo by: Mark Capilitan
