BMW or bust for Villeneuve?

Former world champion Jacques Villeneuve has suggested that he might have to quit the sport if his Sauber contract is not picked up by new team owners BMW at the end of the season.

Speaking to Reuters at the inaugural Turkish Grand Prix, the Canadian said that he is so confident that he will be with BMW next season that he has not entered into negotiations with any other team for 2006.

Former world champion Jacques Villeneuve has suggested that he might have to quit the sport if his Sauber contract is not picked up by new team owners BMW at the end of the season.

Speaking to Reuters at the inaugural Turkish Grand Prix, the Canadian said that he is so confident that he will be with BMW next season that he has not entered into negotiations with any other team for 2006.

"There have been no conversations anywhere," Villeneuve admitted, "I'm not the kind of guy to go talk to everyone if I already have something in my hands. There'd be no point."

The 34-year-old has a year to run on the two-year contract he signed with Peter Sauber at the end of 2004, but the Swiss entrepreneur has sold a majority stake in the team to former Williams engine partner BMW, who will take sole control of the Hinwil-based squad from the start of 2006. Villeneuve's current team-mate Felipe Massa is confirmed as a Ferrari driver next season, but BMW is thought likely to try and prise current Williams driver Nick Heidfeld away from Grove to lead its attack, regardless of its intent towards the Canadian.

Villeneuve, however, claims that there is no clause in his contract that would allow BMW to cast him aside.

"It's quite a short contract where there's not enough lines to forget what's written in it," he smiled, "There's not millions of ways to screw each other up.

"We need to start building the relationship, and the earlier the better, but I'm sure they have their own little demons to work on until the end of the season at Williams and their energy is concentrated there and that's only fair. I'm sure that, as soon as the season is over, the contacts will start."

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