Uncertain future for Villeneuve

Jacques Villeneuve admits his future is not looking too positive at the moment and thinks his string of unlucky results are having a detrimental effect on his reputation. Villeneuve has been plagued by unreliability, his BAR failing in races far too ...

Jacques Villeneuve admits his future is not looking too positive at the moment and thinks his string of unlucky results are having a detrimental effect on his reputation. Villeneuve has been plagued by unreliability, his BAR failing in races far too often and leaving him with five non-finishes from eight races. To compound that, luck seems against him too.

Jacques Villeneuve.

Photo by Nikki Reynolds.

In today's qualifying session for the European Grand Prix the Canadian had his one flying lap when the rain became heavy and the result was a spin that saw him finish in the gravel trap. This means he will have to start first in tomorrow's qualifying when the track will be green, or possibly even wet again.

"There are a lot of discussions on my future but right now nothing that looks too positive," said Villeneuve, according to AFP. "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."

The Canadian says he has a great crew and engineers but the problem is that when anything mechanical goes wrong, it's always his car that breaks down which is frustrating for them all. "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."

However, despite all his woes, Villeneuve is confident he will race in Formula One next year although with which team remains to be seen: "There's no worries about that," he said of his F1 future. "It's just under what conditions and in what team -- unless I am not wanted anywhere."