It turns out Flavio Britatore might be the least controversial name tied to Jacques Villeneuve’s bid to become a team boss in Formula 1 next year.
Amid rumors that the son of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi is among the private backers of the effort, being made in conjunction with JV’s former Speedcar partner Durango, the former world champion released another short statement today:
Due to continued speculation within the media, Jacques Villeneuve has made the following statement:
“There are a number of rumours circulating at the moment and I wanted to clarify a few things before this gets out of hand.
“The team will be a joint venture with Durango, and based out of Italy. To be clear, right now all the money comes from corporate sponsorship, and not from personal investors.â€
Villeneuve has no further comment at this time, as he focuses on qualifications for the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, this coming weekend.
Villeneuve added: “I’d like to thank my fans for the continued support they give to me – as always, it is greatly appreciated.”
The BBC is among those “reputable media” that have mentioned the Gaddafi connection, which apparently ties the son of the Libyan leader to the team.
JV, by this line of thinking, has “distanced” himself and the project from that rumor by noting all the money is from corporate sponsorship and not individuals — i.e. Gaddafi’s son.
Smart move? You’d think so, but then again we’re talking Bernie Ecclestone as the jury here. With his track record for praising, shall we say, controversial political figures, the connection might have been the thing to ensure JV gets on the grid next year.
