Villeneuve Considering Future Options

Canadian Jacques Villeneuve said today that he expects to be racing next year unless manager Craig Pollock "does a very bad job", but the BAR driver refused to be drawn on where his future lies.

Speaking ahead of his home Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal, 32-year-old Villeneuve said that he does not expect to retire when his contract with BAR-Honda expires at the end of the current season.

"Unless he (Pollock) does a very bad job, yes," he said when asked if he will be driving next season. But he refused to be drawn on a potential destination if, as has been suggested, BAR-Honda replace him at the end of the season and promote test and reserve driver Takuma Sato to be Jenson Button's teammate.

"I don't want to wait until I am 50 to be in a position to be competitive again," he said. "What you have to understand is that the BAR car has made a huge step forward this year. We have closed the gap with Ferrari a lot and for us that is a very important thing.

"When you make a decision you have to see what is available and what your options are and it is impossible for me to give you an answer until I know what the options really, really are. It is easy to say now 'oh, I only want to drive in these kind of teams' but then when the question is you drive in another team or you stay at home then maybe you change your mindset so I cannot give you an answer right now."

Villeneuve reiterated that he would not join Ferrari to act as number two to World Champion Michael Schumacher but hinted that Williams and McLaren would be possible employers next year.

"I didn't say I wouldn't drive with Michael Schumacher. I wouldn't drive in Rubens' position - and that is different - which means that you are not allowed to have anything, then no, that would not suit me," Villeneuve added. "But you can always have a team, like McLaren do, they don't have a number two and a number one, they have two number ones and that works out fine and it is the same at Williams."