Kings of Cool: Jacques Villeneuve

Jacques Villeneuve was the ultimate racing rebel without a cause. Right from he start he was determined to play the game his way, or not at all.

He would have it written into his contract that he was limited to just a certain number of sponsor obligations each year, because he didn’t like them. Like Irvine, he was an outspoken voice in an era of political correctness.

He would wear a race suit four sizes to large for him, just because it felt good. In fact when he first arrived at Williams there were some you would jokingly refer to him as the “Midget American Footballer”

He stunned the world by almost winning his first GP, and pushed Damon Hill all the way in the race for the 1996 title. A Year later after the events at Jerez he would become a moral victor and a popular champion.

This is a man who would set up his car at spa with the soul intention of taking Eau Rouge flat, and amazed his team by not lifting through Suzukas 130R.

His private life was every bit as cool as his day job. Jacques over the years has been linked with a long series of glamorous beauty’s including Danni Minogue and Natalie Imbruglia.

And now with his driving career seemingly over, he has a new path waiting for him in his music. All the other names on this list are cool drivers, but nobody else can lay claim to being a rock’n’roll star as well