5. Villeneuve’s fall to mediocrity
Jacques Villeneuve, son of the legendary Gilles Villeneuve, entered the F1 scene in 1996. With his signature blonde hair and natural speed, he became a world champion with Williams in only his second season.
![](https://www.formulasantander.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Villeneuve’s-fall-to-mediocrity2.jpg)
However, after his 1997 title, he spent two miserable seasons racing in an underpowered Williams car. In 1999, the Canadian soon moved to a new multi-million dollar team called British American Racing (BAR), run by his personal manager Craig Pollock.
![](https://www.formulasantander.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Villeneuve’s-fall-to-mediocrity1.jpg)
This was not meant to be however, as he retired from the first 11 races during his first season. In his 5 seasons with the team, the best results were two third places in 2001. His glorious start of the career soon faded from the memory of fans.
![](https://www.formulasantander.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Villeneuve’s-fall-to-mediocrity4.jpg)
It is best if we stop here and not even mention his sad 2006 season with the Sauber F1 team…