Villeneuve upbeat on BMW's progress

The Canadian has been setting the fastest times in a 2006 car at Barcelona this week and, on the back of impressive reliability, he is feeling bullish about the team's overall prospects.

"The car was running without problems, it was fast enough for us to be happy and it was good on the long runs, so it is a step from last year," he told autosport.com.

"I know we have made a big step from last year, catching up with all the other cars, but now it will depend on how much of a step they make themselves. That I don't know."

Villeneuve claims that the characteristics of the F1.06 already suit his driving style more than last year's Sauber - which is helping him push the car even further.

"Yeah, the car seems to suit me a lot more than last year, so it is easier for me to get to the limit of it," he explained. "This is only the beginning, but it is a positive beginning."

The other factor that is leaving Villeneuve upbeat is the atmosphere at the team, which he says is already noticeably different following the buyout by BMW.

"It feels like an official team, a constructor, and you can feel it in the way people work," he added. "There is a security there which wasn't there before, which is nice."