Villeneuve says F1 teams choose drivers for their money instead of talent

Jacques Villeneuve has said that Formula 1 is no longer attractive to young drivers coming through the motor-racing ranks as there is not enough focus on talent. The former Williams driver thinks that teams view drivers that bring in money higher than drivers with more talent.

“Parents would come to me and say ‘My child wants to race, what should I do?’ I would say ‘Tell him to do something else’,” Villeneuve told Motorsport-Magazin.com.

“Now, the children do not even dream anymore,” the former Williams driver added. “For many, the future is the Porsche Cup at most, because they cannot get anywhere financially.

“In the past, you needed talent, and money was a nice bonus. Now you need money, and if you have talent, it’s a nice bonus,” Villeneuve said.

Formula 1 will have to try and make sure young drivers are still interested in racing in the formula but with a large number of young drivers involved in the sport this season, it is hard to see if Villeneuve's comments are accurate.