jv

We're not sure about Jacques. It's difficult to know what to think. Either he's an excellent driver who wanted to move to BAR to have a similar challenge to Michael Schumacher's when he first joined Ferrari or he's not all that good really but is only there because they pay him the most money.

If it's the former then it's not really working. He's been at BAR for three seasons now, and in each one there has been little discernable improvement. He's scored a handful of points each season but never enough to give him a decent chance of attaining high placings in the end of season table. It's also difficult to tell how good he really is. In his time at BAR he has had second-rate drivers as teammates, Ricardo Zonta, and now Olivier Panis. Panis is reasonable, but Zonta wasn't. The result of this is that in each season Villeneuve comes out on top, but we're not entirely convinced he would if he had say, a Schumacher or a Montoya as his teammate.

Yes he's won a championship, in a car that was sensational. Even then he was run right to the ragged edge by Michael's Ferrari, which was a much inferior car. In the BAR Villeneuve rarely shines. He keeps saying that one day he'll come back and be a serious contender but we don't think it'll be a day anytime soon. Michael, Ralf, Juan and Kimi will see to that as they probably have the next seven or so seasons wrapped up between them - and lets face it he isn't getting any younger either.

We would imagine that BAR and Villeneuve will continue plodding along in a mid-table position fighting with the likes of Sauber and Jordan. In a few years time Villeneuve will probably retires to a luxurious Monaco yaucht - with a large pay off in his hand. BAR and Villeneuve are not destined for greatness any time soon.