©NASCARWhelenEuroSeries
Jacques Villeneuve will be back behind the wheel in 2019, the 1997 F1 world champion and fromer Indy 500 winner coming out of retirement to compete in the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series.
The 47-year-old Sky Italia pundit left Formula 1 in 2006, but remained a part-time active driver, trying his hand in various disciplines such as sportscars, rallycross or Formula E, without any success.
Villeneuve sampled his new ride last week in Italy at the Autodromo Franciacorta.
"I had a lot of fun discovering the car because it is really similar to what I was used to in NASCAR in the U.S.," said the Canadian who will be part of the Go Fas Racing lineup.
"You can really drive it hard and you can work a lot on the car and that is also very nice. I also like the track, it’s interesting and there’s a lot to do for the driver.
"Returning full-time is what matters the most to me, because I want to be part of a complete project and have a goal for the entire season. I’m really looking forward to the first race of 2019."
©NASCARWhelenEuroSeries
The 2019 Euro NASCAR series will include 15 races spread over 8 rounds, with most races taking place on road courses, although an oval event at Raceway Venray in Holland is also scheduled.
"Having Jacques aboard is a huge piece of news for everybody involved in Euro NASCAR : our fans, partners, teams and drivers," said NASCAR Whelen Euro Series President and CEO Jerome Galpin.
"The 2019 NASCAR Whelen Euro Series season promises to be one of the most exciting of any European series."
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