Villeneuve refuses shoot-out competition

Jacques Villeneuve is not impressed with BAR's tenuous idea of a driver shoot-out competition to see who gets to partner Jenson Button next year and has refused to take part. Team boss David Richards said he was considering the idea as a 'viable ...

Jacques Villeneuve is not impressed with BAR's tenuous idea of a driver shoot-out competition to see who gets to partner Jenson Button next year and has refused to take part. Team boss David Richards said he was considering the idea as a 'viable solution' to the unconfirmed race seat. He claims it's not just a gimmick and could be an exciting idea. Villeneuve is not convinced.

Jacques Villeneuve.

Photo by LAT Photographic.

"I had a shoot out in 1997," the Canadian told Autosport, in reference to the battle he had with Michael Schumacher to win the title. "A shoot-out is for new up and coming drivers. I wouldn't do it, you wouldn't do it and Madonna wouldn't do it. I wouldn't do it."

BAR tester Takuma Sato might not like the competition idea either, as he believes his contract with the team should see him elevated from test driver to a race seat. "I have a three year deal with BAR, of which only one year is as third driver," said Sato. "So put it this way, I expect to race for the team in '04."

Villeneuve has been open about the speculation that Honda is pushing hard to have Sato reinstated: "Once companies make decisions they tend stick with them," he commented. "They'll now find any old excuse for their decisions to be valid."

Richards recently said Villeneuve's future with BAR depended on a change of attitude from the Canadian but Jacques is affronted at the suggestion: "I have never worked so hard in my life," he stated. "If my attitude is a problem then there is no attitude change that could convince David."