Villeneuve ready for F1 return

Jacques Villeneuve is ready to rekindle his affair with Formula One after falling in love again with the sport.

It is three years since Villeneuve last raced in F1 after parting company with BMW Sauber after 12 rounds of the 2006 season.

But the 1997 world champion is on the lookout for a drive for 2010, in particular with the grid due to expand to 13 teams next year.

The 38-year-old has attended the last few grands prix and spoken with a number of team principals about the possibility of a seat.

“I’m a racing driver and I always will be,” said Villeneuve, who has competed in various events in recent years, including NASCAR’s Craftsman Truck Series and last season’s Le Mans 24 Hours.

“That’s why I’m looking about myself for F1. Driving is the only thing that interests me, and all the mess that’s happened helps me.

“With the test ban, we experienced drivers are handy. I can’t say what will happen, but I’m giving it a go.

“In my opinion today’s cars are better to watch, and they will be even more so next year.

“They will be more fun driving them, especially with the fuel-stop ban. You can see them sliding more, without electronic aids. This way the show is better.”

Asked whether he had fallen in love with F1 again, speaking to Autosprint, Villeneuve replied: “Yes, because the human aspect is counting again, as it did in the past. The work is more like the way I remember it.

“When I left, F1 wasn’t fun anymore. Or rather, driving still was, but the atmosphere outside was bad.

“You’d spend your half-hour with your race engineer, after which the computer would prepare your set-up, and they would tell you ’Shut up and drive’.

“I’m the type of person that always speaks out, but towards the end everything became very difficult.”

Villeneuve has promised to bring his own brand of showmanship back to the sport should a team grant his wish.

“The atmosphere, now like then, looks boring viewed from the outside,” assessed Villeneuve.

“No one speaks out. In my opinion that’s also what loses fans.

“People want to see gladiators, instead they all sound like they love each other. In reality everyone wants to beat everyone else.”