Villeneuve Could Beat Schumacher, Says Pollock

Canadian former champion Jacques Villeneuve could beat drivers' titleholder Michael Schumacher given equal equipment, according to his BAR team boss Craig Pollock.

"If Jacques has equal equipment with Michael he is the only person capable of beating him," the Sunday Mirror quoted him as saying, ignoring the claims of other Formula One drivers such as McLaren's two times champion Mika Hakkinen.

Pollock added that this season "if we don't deliver we don't deserve to keep Jacques."

"I may be accused of bias but I know how far Jacques can go. I know just what he can do. He can genuinely beat Michael," he said.

"It is not just his ability, it is also his attitude. He is not fazed or intimidated by Michael and his reputation as many drivers are. Our responsibility is to give him the car to prove that."

Villeneuve, son of the late Ferrari great Gilles, won the world championship with Williams in 1997, his second season in Formula One after winning the Indy Car title in the United States.

He is very close to Pollock, who first met him as his teacher at school in Switzerland and then became his manager before eventually co-founding the British American Racing team.

BAR finished last season a promising fifth overall, level on points with fourth-placed Benetton, after scoring no points in a deeply disappointing debut season. This year they have the same works Honda engines as the rival Jordan team.

Villeneuve crashed the new BAR03 on Wednesday due to a rear suspension failure after expressing doubts about it on Tuesday. "We are quite a bit slower than last year's car and we are not yet sure why," he said. "Once we have found out what the problem is, hopefully the car will be a lot quicker.

"It is slow and difficult to drive at the moment."