Leap of faith for Jacques to stay at BAR

It was announced in the run up to the German Grand Prix that both Villeneuve and team mate Olivier Panis would be staying at BAR for next year. But Pollock has admitted that the team has not lived up to performance clauses in Villeneuve's contract, giving the 1997 world champion the option to walk.

"Jacques had certain options," Pollock told Autosport.com. "He had a signed contract with us, but there was a clause in there, a performance clause, and we didn't perform up to that. So it's another leap of faith on Jacques' part."

Next year will be Villeneuve's third with the team and is set to be crucial for the BAR outfit both in terms of holding on to Villeneuve and also proving to its engine supplier Honda that it has what it takes to win races.

Pollock says he was keen to get his driver signings out of the way in order to concentrate on making a better car for 2002. He admits that this year's car has not been as competitive as it should have been.

"Obviously the team has slightly underperformed this year," said Pollock. "So it was really important just to get that [the signings] out of the way, so all we have to do is concentrate on driving and making the car fast.

"I think Jacques is disappointed with the way the year's gone. He really held in there for the first two years like a trooper, the same way as everybody in our facility did. It was not just Jacques Villeneuve, but the 400 people there building a car for him. We at this time have failed to give him the car that we said we were going to give him, so the frustration is there."

Villeneuve will be keen to pick up from where he left off in Germany at this weekend's Hungarian Grand Prix after netting his second podium finish of the season at Hockenheim two weeks ago.

For Craig Pollock Q&A, click here.