Villeneuve left on the outside looking in again

Following much speculation, 1997 World Champion Jacques Villeneuve will not return to the Formula 1 grid in 2010. The French-Canadian had hoped to make a comeback with Stefan GP but, as governing body the FIA released the official entry list on Wednesday evening, it became clear the team will not be allowed to enter the sport this year. Of course it's disappointing," Villeneuve told SpeedTV. "The car and team looked very promising but we always knew that there was a risk without having the entry and it was running late. So it's not a full surprise but it's still disappointing.

"There was a lot of potential in the car. It was built and it was a full-blown project. It wasn't something started from scratch and it was going to be competitive.

"It's a shame because it would have been a new team which could have run properly, but that's the way it is."

Even though Villeneuve won't be racing in Bahrain next weekend, he still hopes for another opportunity in the near future. "Who knows, there might be some driver changes during the year, as the teams are not all fully secure," Jacques concluded. "And there's still 2011…"