Villeneuve sees return to podium with BMW

The 1997 world champion with Williams has not finished in the top three since 2001, when he steered his BAR to third place in Germany, but BMW's recent form has raised his hopes of a return to former heights.

Teammate Nick Heidfeld was fourth in this month's Australian Grand Prix, after running a strong second.

"It would be nice to get a few podiums and it would be nice to get a contract out of this year," he told reporters at the San Marino Grand Prix.

"Maybe we can get that by the end of the year. If you look at Australia, Nick was almost on the podium there."

The Canadian, who celebrated his 35th birthday this month, feels at home at Imola.

A corner of the track and, since Thursday, a square in the town are named after his late father - Ferrari great Gilles, who died in 1982 in practice for the Belgian Grand Prix.

"It shows that he's still alive in the hearts of Italians and that's great, I'm very proud of that," he said of his father.

"In people's minds here my dad was almost Italian and he was everybody's son so it's great to see him remembered like that."

Unlike his father, Villeneuve has never stood on the Imola podium but it has given him some good memories. He finished fourth for Sauber last year, after BAR's Jenson Button was disqualified.

"Last year they were the first points I scored and they were the best points of the whole season as well so it is generally a good weekend," said Villeneuve.

BMW split from Williams last year after buying Swiss-based Sauber. The new team have started more strongly than many had expected, fifth in the championship after three races with twice as many points as Williams.

"There are still some quicker cars than us, so we still need some of the quick cars to have problems to be really at the top, but we shouldn't be too far off," said Villeneuve.

He said relations with the team were good, a contrast to last year when the new owners explored other options before finally accepting Villeneuve would stay.

"I think as a team we have got better results than expected and that always helps to make people happy," added Villeneuve. "I guess they didn't know how much of a professional I was and how hard I could work.

"They are still living on that bad image that was created a few years ago and every time I start with someone different I need to prove that was just an invention.

"That's just the way it is. I guess I didn't protect myself enough and I just keep paying the price. But it doesn't take long for people to make up their own mind."

Villeneuve, dropped by BAR in 2003 after an increasingly acrimonious relationship with then team boss David Richards, said he was still being himself.

"I don't wake up and think I have to be very nice and be fake just to show that I'm not like they think I am," he said of his approach to BMW. "I don't think I've changed really."