Q: Does anyone have any update on Alex Zanardi? The most recent I can find is from 2002. I wonder if Jimmy Vasser is in touch with the family?
He is so little talked about these days, yet is one of the most likable and admirable characters ever to grace the IndyCar grid. Not just his infectious personality and his championship drives, but the tenacity and attitude that got him Olympic medals in handcycling, or looking elegant for a GQ shoot, or providing encouragement to Billy Monger, or driving in IMSA and even in DTM (for which BMW must be recognized) and so much more.
A very special man who one hopes has progressed since the terrible cycling accident
CH, Virginia
MP: There are no updates because Alex’s family, like Michael Schumacher’s family, is controlling the information regarding their loved one. I know a few people who are in the loop on how he’s doing, but those folks won’t break ranks with the family, nor are they asked to do so out of respect for Alex.
Q: My verbose complaint this time is how so much of the WEC/IMSA grid were sleeping on Theo Pourchaire. The kid has demonstrated real pace in a whole bunch of different top-level cars, and it’s clear the F1 dream is over for him, and the IndyCar one was yanked out from underneath him.
But the only paying gig he lands for 2025 is a reserve driver role at perennial disappointments Peugeot? To me, that’s insanity. In stick and ball sports the big teams would have been all over him because his youth makes him such a smart investment. He’s only 21. If you signed him as a factory driver now, you’d have a decade and a half with him at his peak pace (judging by the average driver’s performance curve). At which point, he’d be only 36 and still potentially have many years left in his career.
No matter what you’d pay to get him, over those 15 years, you’d have had a cost savings compared to trying to find an equivalent peak-year driver on the open market. I can’t believe that Porsche, Honda, GM, or Ferrari didn’t try to sign him. If I were Porsche, I’d have placed him at Proton for next year in the 963, on the same kind of program that Andlauer had.
It just makes so much sense to me to treat driving talent the same way you would engineering talent and think of starting them young and reaping the benefits of very long-term contributions.
Anyway, maybe I’m nuts for trying to apply Moneyball logic to motorsport, but I think that factory programs with genuine long-term approaches (so, manufacturers who are going to be racing, and know they will be, regardless of what happens to individual series) should start thinking of their driving talent the same way major sports teams think of their key players.
Duncan, Ottawa
MP: The handling of Pourchaire by Arrow McLaren was one of the lowlights of the year. The team providing a glaringly false “we’re-feeding-you-bull****” answer on dropping the reigning F2 champ for a lesser-developed driver like Siegel didn’t help its reputation, nor did it place Siegel in the best light.
The issue with the timing of Pourchaire being dumped when he hit the market is that it was at a point when the available places for 2025 were either taken or needing millions of dollars from the driver. An example: One team owner told me about their interest in signing Pourchaire, and I believe they were genuine, but that team lost a significant sponsor and went from being in the market to hire Theo to searching for the best driver they could find — definitely not as good as an F2 champ, though — who also had millions to spend.
It’s a timing thing. I hope he continues to call and connect with IndyCar owners, because he is worthy of a quality drive.
Q: Reading last week’s Mailbag and specifically Tim Davis’s question about a mystery man watching the Montreal F1 GP from pit exit, I thought, “This sounds like a job for ChatGPT,” which took me on a little journey.
My first response was, “The bearded man you’re referring to is likely Normand Legault, a prominent figure in Canadian motorsport. Legault was the organizer of the Canadian Grand Prix for many years and a close associate of Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone.
“Legault was often seen at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, standing near the pit exit or other key areas during race weekends. His involvement in the race organization and his distinct appearance made him a recognizable figure at the Canadian Grand Prix.”
A quick look at pictures made me suspicious so I challenged our AI friend to tell me what was distinctive about his appearance. We went on a new tangent.
“The man you’re referring to might actually be Gilles Villeneuve’s brother, Jacques Villeneuve Sr., rather than Normand Legault. Jacques Villeneuve Sr. was known for his distinctive bushy beard, making him a recognizable figure at the Canadian Grand Prix.
“He was often seen standing at significant vantage points, such as near the pit exit, during races. His rugged look, complete with a thick beard and casual demeanor, stood out against the more polished appearance of many in the Formula 1 paddock. Jacques Villeneuve Sr. has been closely associated with motorsport in Canada and is part of the famous Villeneuve racing family.
“He was often seen standing at significant vantage points, such as near the pit exit, during races. His rugged look, complete with a thick beard and casual demeanor, stood out against the more polished appearance of many in the Formula 1 paddock.”
Hope that provides an answer, but was certainly an interesting little journey I briefly went on today.
Dave, from original Jersey as opposed to NJ
MP: Thank you, SkyNet.
Q: Now that Michael Andretti has joined his old buddy Mike Harding in the category of former team owner, what would be the chance these two reunite down the road? Maybe do a one-off at the 500? Both these guys love the Indy 500 and would be interesting to see what kind of entry they could put together.
Bob Gray, Canoga Park, CA
MP: Burning a bunch of cash to try and win yet another Indy 500 as a team owner is the kind of thing a financial advisor would recommend against, but hey, if Michael and Mike want to come play at the Speedway, I bet they’d be among the most popular entries. Maybe give Fernando Alonso another shot at victory?