After three very disappointing seasons at the British American Racing team, Jacques Villeneuve begins what will surely be a crucial year if the Brackley squad wants to keep the 1997 World Champion now that his close friend Craig Pollock has decided to leave. Graham Holliday reviews Villeneuve's situation at the team, and predicts what might happen if the Canadian finally decides it's time to move on

Imagine the Republican Party in the States at the launch of their presidential campaign coming out with this opening gambit, "Looking forward to the coming contest. Oh, and by the way, George Bush is sitting this one out. But it's alright, 'cos we've found this other guy who might be quite good." With the surprise resignation of team principal Craig Pollock, the launch of BAR's 2002 contender displayed shades of farce not that dissimilar to the scenario outlined above.

If BAR were looking to destabilise an already morale-barren team then Pollock's little bombshell couldn't have exploded at a more opportune moment. All the driver rhetoric, PR speak and management psychobabble at the launch couldn't belie the fact that a certain Jacques Villeneuve looked about as thrilled as a patient being given a 'one year to live' diagnosis. Not exactly the best footing upon which to start challenging for the 2002 World Driver's Championship.

Referring to Pollock's shock resignation Villeneuve said, "When I said that (I could leave) I could actually physically go. Now I can't. It's as simple as that. This situation is not included in my contract." He'd obviously had little time to think this particular situation through and there weren't a whole lot of other options springing to mind once he'd reviewed his contractual obligations. In the days and weeks that have passed since the BAR004 was launched Villeneuve must have been ruing the day he turned down a rumoured deal with McLaren or any of the other offers which will have surely come his way during the not so fruitful years at BAR.

"There are a lot of people in the team who I have worked hard with for a long period of time. I wouldn't drop them," said the Canadian at the launch party. Why not Jacques? Your manager, mentor and best mate Craig did. Or did he? Was he pushed or did he jump? Well, there's no way of telling just yet, but the truth is likely to come out during the course of the season as an intriguing game of cat and mouse plays out in front of the waiting media.

So what does the future hold for the unshaven one?

If he's to be taken at his word, Villeneuve will let the car and his driving do the talking, "Craig was a big part in me staying with the team when I re-signed. Now it will all be down to how fast the car is and how happy everyone is within the team," the 1997 World Champion went on to say.

What he forgot to add was that it would probably also be down to how effective Craig Pollock is at playing his other role, that of managing Jacques' career. And just what are the options anyway? With the top seats with the top teams sewn up for the season ahead the only viable possibility is a switch with a driver from another team. And the name that keeps popping up out of the rumour toaster is Jenson Button at the newly badged Benetton Renault stable.

My guess is that both Flavio Briatore, Craig Pollock and maybe even new BAR principal David Richards already have an 'understanding'. Villeneuve might publicly state that he's tied to the team for the coming year through his contract, but since when did that ever mean anything in the Formula One world? In 2001 alone, one only has to think of Heinz Harald Frentzen's ignominious departure from Jordan. Or the designer Gustav Brunner's defection from the cash strapped minnows at Minardi to the new rich kids on the block running Toyota. Both moves severed once healthy relationships and sealed a lasting distrust on the wounded parties side. The likelihood is that Jacques will sit it out until such time as he and everyone else watching has had a chance to pass judgement on the BAR004 and its racing potential. Then and only then will any 'understanding' come into play.

BAR surprised some onlookers late last year by announcing a three-year Honda engine deal after losing out in the Championship to rival Honda-powered outfit Jordan. The contract augurs well for the Brackley-based team and makes them prime targets for any future status as the sole Honda team. And the new engine itself is a big step up for BAR, as fellow BAR driver Olivier Panis said just before testing recommenced, "It's a big engine! New technology, new design, I feel this engine is the new generation of engines, like maybe Renault and BMW have done in the past."

Initial testing in Barcelona resumed in January and after 43 laps round the Circuit de Catalunya Villeneuve seemed to approve of the new spec Honda unit commenting at the time, "We knew there was going to be a big difference in the car this year and so it's nice to get in it and see those improvements. The car feels good so I'm feeling positive."

However, no amount of gloss can hide the fact that a BAR team without Craig Pollock is fundamentally not a BAR team Jacques Villeneuve is going to be hanging around in any longer than is necessary. As the rumour mill continues to grind, a move to Benetton Renault, before the season has played half its course, seems a distinct possibility.

However Jenson Button could yet throw a further spanner in the works by wrestling an improving Renault up the grid and outshining his new teammate Jarno Trulli which would make ousting the British driver all the more difficult. If pre-season testing is anything to go by, 2002 looks like being an improvement for the young Brit. Even if Button excels, as he must do to get back into the top end of Formula One, it is still unlikely that Briatore would keep Button when former World Champion and sponsors' dream Villeneuve is up for grabs. One thing is for sure, Jacques Villeneuve and his management will be juggling a whole bag of 'ifs' and 'buts' in their collective heads for the first quarter of the season as they attempt to see the tail end of Jacques' career out in a competitive seat.

His fans will be left ruminating until the whole BAR mess unravels. While at the same time Villeneuve will be ringing every ounce of power out of the new BAR004 in an effort to outdo his teammate Olivier Panis in what is one of the most equally matched driver partnerships on the grid. The fact that Villeneuve outqualified the Frenchman 11 times in 2001 doesn't detract from the fact that the difference in their times was minuscule.

After the teams have settled themselves back in Europe following the long haul races to Australia, Malaysia and Brazil they will be better placed for making mechanical improvements and cementing any organisational decisions. My feeling is that, contractual wrangling and arguments over, if Villeneuve is to make his move it will be at this time. In fact I wouldn't be at all surprised to see Villeneuve lining up on the grid in a Renault powered car as early as the San Marino Grand Prix at Imola on April 14th.

The silly season this year started earlier than expected for Villeneuve. What with Pollock, Briatore and Richards all playing a part in juggling Jacques' career. Villeneuve himself would do best to 'never mind the Pollocks' and get on with racing whichever team he ends up in by the time the Formula One train pulls into Suzuka.