rpm.espn.com: Jacques Villeneuve

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Thursday, February 7

Jacques Villeneuve
ESPN.com

Team: British American Racing
Nationality: Canada

Jacques Villeneuve
Villeneuve

STATS

Year
Rank
Wins
Poles
Podium
Best finish

2001 7 0 0 2 3rd, Twice

Career 11 13 23 1st, 11 Times

2001 Recap
The Good: There were a few bright spots for Villeneuve, the 1997 world champion, but by and large the season was another disappointment. BAR's car suffered reliability issues. And when it ran, it was slow and ill-handling.

Season Highlight: Villeneuve collected the first ever podium finish for BAR at Barcelona in April. However, the third-place effort came after race leader Mika Hakkinen's clutch blew, allowing the field to blow by him.

Villeneuve also finished third at Germany in July -- a race that saw championship contenders Michael Schumacher and David Coulthard retire early.

The Bad: Villeneuve's dreadful season was compounded when friend, mentor and manager Craig Pollock was ousted as team boss at BAR. That move led many to speculate that Villeneuve would be next to leave the team, but the Canadian has said he's committed to BAR -- at least through the 2002 season.

Season Lowlight: In the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, Villeneuve was involved in a high-speed crash with Ralf Schumacher. Volunteer race marshal Graham Beveridge died when he was struck by a flying wheel from the wreckage.

Jacques Villeneuve
Jacques Villeneuve may be heading into his final season with British American Racing.

Key Stat: Villeneuve finished tied for seventh in the driver standings in 2001, but managed to score points in just four events.

2002 Outlook
What needs to be done: BAR's car was heavy and stubborn last season. This year, the team's engineers promise the car is lighter and with a lower center of gravity. Ninety percent of the car's components are completely new for 2002. So, will it pay off? Well, early test results are promising, but no one is expecting miracles.

Villeneuve will also have to keep his head on straight. He'll be working with team boss David Richards this year, not Pollock. If he can stay focused and the car is improved, who knows?

Prediction: BAR's new model will be improved -- it couldn't perform much worse, could it? -- but it won't be enough to help Villeneuve battle for wins. He, along with teammate Olivier Panis, may be able to sneak onto a podium now and then, but they'll usually be found running in the middle of the pack.

This season will also probably be Villeneuve's last with BAR. At 30, the Canadian knows time isn't on his side. If he plans to add another world championship trophy to his mantle, he'll need to land a top-notch ride in 2003.

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