ST-EUSTACHE, Que. — Jacques Villeneuve says he wants to return to the Formula One circuit, but the former world racing champ admits his chances of competing in the 2010 season are not that good.
“The chances of it happening are slim, very slim,” Villeneuve told reporters Thursday as he prepared for a race this Saturday in the NASCAR Canadian Tire series.
“I would return tomorrow if the opportunity was there,” the 38-year-old said. “And there’s not many years available to do (F-1) so I guess it’s now or never.”
Villeneuve confirms he has been involved in “mostly exploratory” talks with several key F-1 players at recent race events in Monaco and Silverstone, England.
“This time around the feeling was quite positive,” he added.
But Villeneuve admits there are no negotiations on the horizon that could lead to the signing of a new contract.
The father of two young boys says there are a number of favourable factors that make him want to return to Formula One.
He points to the return of slick tires, the addition of new teams and stricter limits on the use of electronics to help control the car. Villeneuve had complained about the overuse of electronic aides in the past.
Villeneuve made his comments before he donned his bright orange racing suit to test drive his No. 7 Ford Fusion at Autodrome St-Eustache, northwest of Montreal, where he will compete in the Tide 250 race.
He first visited the backwoods track on Mother’s Day in May when owner Alan Labrosse asked him if he was interested in test driving a car.
The run-down St-Eustache racing venue is a far cry from the prestigious race circuits that Villeneuve is used to competing on.
“It’s more fun than anything else,” he insisted. “When you’re in F-1, you don’t get a chance to jump into anything else. You’re stuck with what you’re doing and it’s just good to open your eyes a little bit to different experiences.”