Electric racing fans had reason to be excited when Jacques Villeneuve signed on for the FIA Formula E Championship this past summer. After all, he's a former Formula One World Champion – the first that the series has managed to attract. But now the French Canadian driver is on his way out.
Despite the successes racked up earlier in his career, Villeneuve has had a rough go of it in Formula E. Out of the three races held this season, JV finished the first two outside the points and failed to start the third. Now less than a third of the way through the season, he and the Venturi team have called it quits "by mutual consent." That unfortunately leaves the series without any North American drivers competing this season, after Scott Speed and Marco Andretti competed last season but didn't return.
To fill Jacques' vacated seat, Venturi has named Mike Conway, who will race alongside Stephan Sarrazin. Conway has proven himself in a number of circuit racing disciplines, winning races in Formula 3, GP2, Indy, and the FIA World Endurance Championship. The British racing driver has proven particularly adept at street circuits like the ones on which Formula E competes, having won races in Macau, Monaco, and Long Beach. He also tested the Formula E racer for Dragon Racing ahead of last season.
As for Villeneuve, only time will tell where he'll land next. He won the Indianapolis 500, Indy championship, and Formula One in the late 1990s. He stuck around F1 through 2006, but never won another grand prix, and has since tried his hand at everything from Le Mans and touring cars to NASCAR and rallycross.
Despite the successes racked up earlier in his career, Villeneuve has had a rough go of it in Formula E. Out of the three races held this season, JV finished the first two outside the points and failed to start the third. Now less than a third of the way through the season, he and the Venturi team have called it quits "by mutual consent." That unfortunately leaves the series without any North American drivers competing this season, after Scott Speed and Marco Andretti competed last season but didn't return.
To fill Jacques' vacated seat, Venturi has named Mike Conway, who will race alongside Stephan Sarrazin. Conway has proven himself in a number of circuit racing disciplines, winning races in Formula 3, GP2, Indy, and the FIA World Endurance Championship. The British racing driver has proven particularly adept at street circuits like the ones on which Formula E competes, having won races in Macau, Monaco, and Long Beach. He also tested the Formula E racer for Dragon Racing ahead of last season.
As for Villeneuve, only time will tell where he'll land next. He won the Indianapolis 500, Indy championship, and Formula One in the late 1990s. He stuck around F1 through 2006, but never won another grand prix, and has since tried his hand at everything from Le Mans and touring cars to NASCAR and rallycross.
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