Villeneuve's Future 'Not Looking Positive'

Canadian Jacques Villeneuve conceded today that his Formula One future is looking bleak and the former World Champion claimed his BAR-Honda team's performances are damaging his reputation.

Villeneuve has retired in five of the eight races so far this season and has only scored points once - in the rain-hit Brazilian Grand Prix at Interlagos where he finished in sixth place.

The 1997 World Champion will begin Saturday's qualifying session first for the second event in succession after being caught out by heavy rain and spinning off in the first qualifying session.

Villeneuve said after the error that the performance of BAR is doing little for his future.

"There are a lot of discussions (on my future) but right now nothing that looks too positive," he said. "At the end of the day it is what you do on a piece of paper that counts. Even though people know it is not your fault and see the hard work you are putting in, they wake up, read a piece of paper and you are at the back and that is all that matters.

"It doesn't matter why you are at the back and it is starting to have quite a negative effect on what will happen in the future. That is the sad thing."

But he stills remains hopeful of being on the grid in 2004 and added: "There's no worries about that, it's just under what conditions and in what team...unless I am not wanted anywhere."

Villeneuve, whose contract with BAR-Honda comes to an end this year, has suffered bad luck this season compared with new teammate Jenson Button. He insists his problems are not down to his race team mechanics, many of whom he has worked with since he joined BAR when the team were set up in 1999, but blamed factory problems for the errors that have cost him crucial race results.

"I have got a great crew, great engineers," said Villeneuve. "I have been working with them for years and it has never been a problem. The problems we have had in reliability haven't been finger problems from the race team, from things that were built at the racetrack, but rather things built at the factory or built by an external supplier.

"Finger problems shouldn't happen. That something breaks because of a finger problem, that's bad luck, but the finger problem shouldn't have been there in the first place. Basically we are trying to get the bad luck instead of going against it and then, when problems happen, they happen to my car, so that is what's hard about it.

"It's not good and hopefully it will change for the second half of the season because it makes the job very difficult. And also it makes the perception of everybody very negative, which is not a good thing. I am definitely starting to believe in good and bad luck but, you know, from all the problems I have had I didn't get hurt so it's not that bad."