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Friday, July 27
Villeneuve wants to focus on future
Reuters
| |  | | | Villeneuve |
HOCKENHEIM, Germany -- Jacques Villeneuve
says he is doing his best for British American Racing but that
the Formula One team should write off the season to focus on the
future.
Speaking at the German Grand Prix on Friday, Canada's 1997
world champion did not attempt to hide his disappointment with
what has been yet another year of struggle.
"I think that at this point it is better to not even
concentrate on this year and really put all the effort into next
year," he said.
"We're used to getting used to looking at the future so
that's what we're going to do again."
Speaking one day after renewing his contract, Villeneuve
also replied to comments made by his race engineer Jock Clear
that suggested he was giving less than 100 percent.
"It's nice to know that Jock believes I can go quicker than
I am but you always try and do your best," said Villeneuve of
the comments, published in an interview on the Canadian's own
website.
"But the way it's been going this year with the car we've
never been really in a position to be competitive in qualifying
and we've concentrated mainly on trying to get ready for the
races.
"It turns out that we have been more competitive in the
races than we are in qualifying...but we still need a lucky
weekend to be in the top six," he said at a news conference.
Clear, who has worked with Villeneuve since his championship
days at Williams, had said that Villeneuve had a rare talent
that could not be wasted.
"I think that there's that special something inside Jacques
that he's not using at the moment," he said.
"It's still there and we all know it's there but drivers of
his talent only have a finite amount of that something special.
"If you asked them to use that something out of the ordinary
just to qualify ninth rather than 11th then you would be abusing
that talent."
Despite renewing his contract with a team built around him
when they entered Formula One two years ago, Villeneuve said he
had kept his eyes open to other opportunities.
"You just always look at what's happening everywhere, just
in case something happens and you have to look at something
else," he said.
"There was never really a question of going anywhere else
anyway."
Villeneuve gave BAR their first ever podium this year with a
third place in Spain but he has otherwise scored just seven
points in 11 races and is 10th overall.
"We're not doing too well, we're not very competitive and we
have been going backwards," he said.
"So it is a little bit difficult to accept at this point and
all the work we're doing now is more in desperation than in
trying to get the last 10th out of the car.
"I think we will see the developments mainly for next year.
This car wasn't born very well. It didn't feel right in winter
testing.
"We've improved it a bit but less than the opposition and
engine-wise the same," added the Canadian, who said before the
start of the season that the team needed to be fighting for
third place overall to keep him happy.
"I still want to win races, so I will just keep on working
hard and trying to do it."
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