Villeneuve Rather Quit Racing than Go Back to CART

Canadian Jacques Villeneuve has ruled out a possible move back to America's CART series if he is ditched by BAR-Honda at the end of the season when his contract ends.

Villeneuve, who won the CART title before making the switch to Formula One in 1996, has insisted that he will quit motor racing altogether rather than make a return to the American series.

"I will not race in the CART series," Villeneuve is quoted as saying in Austrian magazine Motorsport Aktuell. "If it stays at its current level, it is not interesting for me.

"If I don't find an F1 drive, I'll quit. I've won the F1 championship already. There are plenty of other things in life apart from F1 racing."

Villenueve, 32, has been linked with a potential switch to Renault next season, but remains focused on staying with BAR, where he has been since the start of the 1999 season.

And although he ruled out CART, he admitted that the Le Mans 24-Hour race could be an option open to him if he is denied a further season in Formula One.

"I am playing with the idea of a start in the 24-hour race in Le Mans," said the Canadian. "One race per year would be a new adventure."