Villeneuve Rues Career's 'Hardest' Season

Canadian Jacques Villeneuve says this has been his worst year in Formula One and pleaded with BAR-Honda to rid his car of a jinx so he can finish his home Grand Prix in Montreal this weekend.

Villeneuve is baffled by reliability problems that have let him down in four races this season while his new teammate Briton Jenson Button has been able to get to the end of all but one of the Grands Prix he has started.

"It has been the hardest season so far ever in my career with all the problems we have had," said the Canadian. "We should have got podiums but there have just been too many mechanical problems. I don't want to bother too much thinking about that - I will just drive hard and see what happens."

Villeneuve, whose contract with BAR-Honda comes to an end this year, is fighting to secure his place with the team - and his Formula One future. The team's new car is competitive but Villeneuve has been left frustrated by BAR-Honda's failure to allow him to show off his talent to the full.

"So far only one car has finished races and we must sort that out," said Villeneuve. "If we do not then we will not do well in the Constructors' Championship."

Villeneuve has an abysmal record in the Canadian Grand Prix, which is run on a circuit named after his father, former Ferrari driver Gilles, and he is aiming for a double change in fortune.

The Canadian, who owns a restaurant in downtown Montreal, finished second in his first home race in 1996 but has since finished only two other races on home soil, neither one in the top 10.

"Canada is great and the car is competitive - but we will not fight Ferrari, they are leagues ahead, and I don't want to think about what I can do here," he said.