Villeneuve feeling positive

Jacques Villeneuve is feeling positive and can't wait to get started at this weekend's Australian Grand Prix. The Canadian is happy with the 2003 BAR005 and has compared it favourably to the Williams in which he won the world championship in 1997.

"I can't wait to get started," he enthused. "I'm extremely pleased with the new car. You can do pretty much whatever you want with it and it's great fun to drive -- even more so than the Williams that carried me to the world championship title six seasons ago. I'm really excited about the team's potential."

Villeneuve says he is still committed to racing and is feeling more positive than he has for some time: "We have been pushing hard to make progress during the past few seasons," he said. "I have never been less than one hundred percent committed but I guess you have more energy to give when you are happy, and that's how I feel right now"

"The BAR 005 definitely has the potential to challenge for podium finishes. It is natural to feel optimistic at the start of the season -- I'm sure every team does - but I haven't felt so positive for quite a while."

While waiting for the action to begin, Villeneuve had been acclimatizing to Australia and thinks it's a very welcoming place: "Apart from the fact that it's the first race, which is always exciting, it is such a fun place," he remarked. "The Australian people are very welcoming to us and everyone has a good time."

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