Villeneuve, who is famously outspoken on the current state of Formula One,
said the fact this year’s Rallycross championship will be sanctioned by the
FIA, motorsport’s governing body, meant it was an opportunity “too good to
miss”.
Jacques Villeneuve with Andy Scott next to his Albatec Rallycross car
The 12-round championship begins in Montalegre, Portugal, in May, with races
in his home country at Trois-Rivières, Quebec, and Lydden Hill in Kent.
Villeneuve has driven in Formula One, NASCAR, Indycar, and Le Mans, and the
Scottish Albatec team said they were delighted to secure someone of his
“pedigree”.
Andy Scott, team principal, said: “He brings with him a wealth of experience
and an outstanding pedigree across all disciplines. He is renowned for his
technical excellence and ability to drive any car to its limit”.
Rallycross has enjoyed a surge in participation in recent years, partly
because it is cheap and relatively easy to enter and delivers short, sharp
racing.
Villeneuve, 42, had reportedly been seeking a return to Formula One as
recently as 2011 with his own team, but it appears any return to the sport
he left in 2006 is over.
The Canadian is famous for his strong views on the current state of the sport
he graced as champion, overcoming Michael Schumacher in memorable fashion at
Jerez in 1997.
At his home grand prix in Montreal in 2012, he said F1 was full of “daddy’s
boy drivers lacking respect”, and added that it was “wrong” that mediocre or
average teams should be able to consistently win races.