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Old 15-09-2003, 18:03
Isabelle Isabelle is offline
De Paddock Rookie
 
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 41
De toekomst van Villeneuve...

... is momenteel nog onzeker. Villeneuve vreest dat hij vervangen zal worden door de Japanese testrijder en voormalig Jordan-piloot Takuma Sato. De Canadees heeft nog geen voorstel gekregen, noch van Bar noch van een ander team. Het ziet er naar uit dat hij z'n looneisen flink zal moeten inkrimpen.
Artikel van BBC Sport:


Quote:
Former world champion Jacques Villeneuve admits his days as a Formula One driver could be over after revealing he has had no offers of a drive for 2004. The 32-year-old Canadian, who races for BAR, believes the team's engine suppliers Honda, are pushing to have Japanese test driver and former Jordan racer Takuma Sato in the car next year.

Villeneuve said: "There is no inkling of an offer coming from anywhere and there hasn't been an offer from BAR either. It is late and there is no good news so there is no reason to be optimistic. I am working hard on it and I know a lot of people are working hard on it but there are also people working hard against it."

Villeneuve equalled his season's best result with sixth place in the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, but he knows that will not influence the battle within the team over his future.

"No decision has been officially taken by the team and it doesn't look too good but that doesn't mean it is finished," he continued.

"It is out of my hands though, it is in (BAR sponsors) Lucky Strike's hands, in the team's hands and in Honda's hands. I guess it depends on who wins the battle but there is a big push for Sato coming from Honda."

The Monaco-based racer, who joined the team when it was set up by his manager Craig Pollock five years ago, would have to accept a massive pay-cut to stay, but admits he is frustrated he can no longer decide his own future.

"This just makes me lose faith in the paddock because no decision is taken with reality in mind, it is completely lunatic. It is like a dream world where everybody does their own thing without any logic. It doesn't matter what you achieve, people will see what they want. If they are positive with you they will see the one good thing you have done in 10 years, but if they want to be against you they will see the one bad thing you have done even if the rest of the time you have been doing good things. You want to finish on a high note or because you are not good enough anymore, not because people have decided to go against you for reasons that you cannot fight. If you are not on the pace or not doing your job then they are good reasons but if they are being invented, there is nothing you can personally do and it is frustrating if it is not in your hands."
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