Trouble-Free Day for BAR Drivers

The British American Racing team endured a trouble-free day in Friday's practice for the British Grand Prix, but Canadian Jacques Villeneuve admitted there was still work to do in order to make the car more competitive.

"Today was a normal day at the office really," said Villeneuve, who was eleventh quickest at the circuit where he won back in 1996 and 1997. "The car is working quite well; I did have a little ‘off' but it was nothing major.

"The weather changed quite dramatically so we should realistically expect the same but we have no idea how our traction control works in the wet. It's always a gamble in the wet and the kind of gamble that isn't fun when you work so hard all weekend to find what you think is the best set-up.

"We're not quick enough yet but we have a good basis to build on throughout the weekend now."

Frenchman Olivier Panis was also happy with his Honda-powered car, being little more than a tenth slower than his Canadian teammate. Panis ended the session in twelfth place and the veteran driver was looking forward to a good race on Sunday.

"I feel quite positive about how we ran today," admitted Panis. "The car felt good straight away this morning so we were able to concentrate on trying to find the best set-up and maximising grip. We also played around with the tyre options to find the best overall package.

"I like to drive in the wet so the weather isn't normally a problem for me. I'm looking forward to the race and hope we can do well at the team's home Grand Prix."