BAR Can Benefit from Renault Discord, Says Willis

BAR believe any friction between Renault and Jarno Trulli can only help them in Formula One's battle for second place.

"Any internal strife or discord (at Renault) is good for us," BAR technical director Geoff Willis told Reuters after the Honda-powered team leapfrogged three points clear of their French rivals into second place in the constructors' championship.

Italian Trulli, the Monaco winner who is expected to join Toyota after announcing in July that he was leaving Renault, has failed to score a point for five races and has clearly fallen out with team boss Flavio Briatore.

Trulli suggested at the weekend's Italian Grand Prix that the French team were trying to force him out before the end of the season, an allegation denied by Briatore.

But there has been increasing speculation that Renault could draft in former champion Jacques Villeneuve, out of a job since losing his seat at BAR at the end of last year, for the final three races of the season.

The Autosport website reported on Tuesday that Villeneuve, who won the world title in a Renault-powered Williams in 1997, was believed to be having a seat fitting and could test at Silverstone this week.

Trulli was not due to be at the test.

Button Focused

BAR also have driver uncertainties, with Briton Jenson Button seemingly determined to move to Williams in 2005 and the teams waiting for a ruling from Formula One's contract recognition board.

But Willis said that controversy had not distracted the BAR team from their purpose.

"Regardless of what happens on the driver front, the team is completely focused about its job -- the drivers and the team are facing the same direction," he said.

"We want to get that second place in the championship and I'm sure Jenson wants to get the highest points score he can."

Willis said second place, higher than BAR have ever finished in the championship after years of under-achieving, was realistic.

"We do have quite a lot of developments on the car in the pipeline, due for testing at Silverstone," he said. "I think we are still currently quicker than Renault but it will rely on our finishing both cars at every race.

"Renault will be fighting back to do the same so I think it's going to be quite a battle to the end of the year."

Button's podium in Italy was his first since the news broke that he was moving to Williams and answered those who feared that BAR had lost momentum.

"If there was any suggestion that we were starting to stagnate, this is an indication that we are still pushing and still developing the car," said Willis.

"You are bound to get these moments through the year when you look as though you've gone backwards a little bit as your developments are out of phase with your competitors."