That gives Villeneuve two weeks employment with his F1 team, an organization that he has dedicated six long, and extremely difficult years to.
"What is so disappointing is the fact that this team was built for and around Jacques, and he underwent all sorts of trials and tribulations over the years as BAR struggled to find its place in Formula One."
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| On Friday, Jacque's manager Craig Pollock was informed that the 1997 World Champion was being let go from the British American Racing team. (Photo: jv-world.com) |
"Jacques never wavered, and his loyalty to British American Racing was constant. He had other opportunities, and no-one would have blamed him for going elsewhere, but he preferred to see this project through despite a car that did not live up to its expectations."
There is no definitive word as to whether Villeneuve will race in the season finale at Suzuka, Japan, but even if just not to give the opportunity to Takuma Sato, his less than friendly Japanese team rival and most likely successor.
Villeneuve won't be lining up on the soup kitchen should he find himself out of an F1 drive for 2004 mind you, as his five-year contract with BAR made him the second highest paid driver in all of Formula 1, bested only by 5-time Championship winner Michael Schumacher.
But money isn't what true race driver's are all about, especially Jacques Villeneuve. The frustration he has encountered, after attaining the topmost position in the motorsport ladder in 1997, being that his highest points position in 5 years is 7th and in his final contract year, 2003, the one that would make it or break it for flying Frenchman, a meager 39 World Championship points for putting him in 16th place overall.