Pride could block JV's BAR return

The Canadian star, who won the F1 title with Williams in 1997, has insisted that he has healed his rift with BAR team principal David Richards, but claims that there are other political players who could block his hoped-for return. The team is seeking a big name driver as a contingency plan in the wake of Jenson Button's announcement that he intends to race for Williams next year.

"If pride doesn't get in the way, then I think it would work out," Villeneuve told Autosport. "If pride gets in the way then it will be much more difficult, because there's no argument that can beat pride. I'm not talking about David there, there's some other people. I think that's the only things that could block it, pride and political games."

Villeneuve has denied that his longtime manager Craig Pollock would have an adverse affect on his chances of a BAR seat next year, insisting he can keep a low profile.

"Craig will not be a problem," he said. "If he has to take a step back and just be in the background, it happened last year already, so that's not a problem. He won't be an issue. He can be kept outside and not be present with David or whoever it might be an issue with. Craig does not have to exist as an entity."

Should Villeneuve's plan to return to F1 not come off, he told Autosport he will turn his attentions to stock car racing in America.

"If nothing works out, then I'll probably concentrate on doing something in NASCAR," said Villeneuve. "Everybody I speak with, all the team owners, say 'You have to come back to F1, we need you'. Great, but they all want someone else to make it happen, and not themselves. So after a point you say, screw you, I'll go and do NASCAR, if you don't want to put your finger in the pot."