Will Jacques be back?

The F1 rumour mill has been buzzing in the last few days about the possibility of Jacques Villeneuve returning to Formula One. The Canadian former champion parted company with BAR acrimoniously at the end of 2003 when the team decided not to renew his contract. This week it's been speculated that Villeneuve is on Williams' wish list to fill a race seat for 2005.

Jacques Villeneuve.

Photo by Brousseau Photo.

Whether Frank Williams is considering Villeneuve, who was champion for the team in 1997, is yet to be seen but Jacques' manager Craig Pollock is confident the Canadian will be back in F1 somewhere. "I would put a lot of money on Jacques being back in 2005," Pollock told UK tabloid The Sun.

"I have already had discussions with the right teams. Jacques had offers to drive this season but he is only prepared to race for someone who will give him a chance of fighting Michael Schumacher for the title."

Villeneuve's salary demands were reportedly one of the problems that BAR was unwilling to accede to, but Pollock said money is secondary to securing a good drive.

"Money will not be an issue when negotiating a return but what he will not do is chug around at the back of the field," the former BAR boss comemnted. "He wants a car that can win races and fight for the championship. Williams is certainly an interesting prospect."

Frank Williams has a list of drivers under consideration for next year but isn't saying who is on it, or if he's looking for one or two. Juan Pablo Montoya is already signed to McLaren for 2005 and Ralf Schumacher's future with Williams is rocky. Names most often linked with the Williams seats have been BAR's Jenson Button and Jaguar's Mark Webber.