©1998 SpeedCenter Internet Publishing, Inc.
By Dan Proudfoot
Ask Mark Blundell about Jacques Villeneuve becomingan also-ran.Been there, done that. The reigning Molson Indy champ, in Toronto yesterdayto hype thisyear's race, understands how drivers disappear inFormula One andshoot for the stars in CART.
"I sit here knowing Villeneuve is not driving twoseconds slower (perlap) than last year," Blundell said. "He's drivingjust as hard, just as well.It's what's underneath him that's changed. "The Villeneuve situation is the classic situationof being in a car that'snot as competitive as the car he had the year before.The same thinghappened to Damon Hill after winning the worldchampionship. "Disadvantage, Formula One. Advantage, us (CART)with eightwinners last year."
Blundell's discovery that each car and enginecombination in CART isequally competitive follows a F-1 career that was astudy in frustration.He drove for McLaren -- this year's pace-setter --when McLaren washopeless. Finishing 10th in the 1995 worldchampionship might be aslarge an accomplishment as Mika Hakkinen winning thetitle in today'sMcLaren.
"Formula One has not seen the best of me," Blundellsaid of his fouryears and 61 starts, with third place his bestresult. "It's unfinishedbusiness for me in some respects in that I was neverwith a great teamat the right time.
"But I am contracted to stay with PacWest to the endof 1999. And thebottom line is I want to race every weekend -- andFormula One doesn'tgive a driver that. I have no interest in just beingone of the cars runningaround the track."
Blundell ran around ahead of the entire field atExhibition Place. It wasas dominant a performance as CART saw last year, theEnglishmanleading from the first lap through to the checkeredflag, excepting onlytwo laps while he pitted for fuel and tires. Alongwith two other wins, itestablished Blundell as a favorite in this year'sFedEx Championship.
But he virtually has disappeared from prominence inthe opening threeraces. What's underneath him now? Last year's ReynardMercedes-Ilmor.
"It was the wrong decision, but we thoughtreliability would be a keyissue and we'd have an advantage with the cars weknew," Blundell saidof his 12th, 10th and seventh-place finishes. "We'll be testing our '98 cars at St. Louis thisSunday and racing themat Nazareth (April 24-26). It was the wrong decision,but one in whichwe all had input so nobody is blaming anyone else.Now we have to putour heads down and go for it."
Source: Canada Online, used by permission
