BAR unveiled its new car today. The new team made its first appearance at the Catalunya track in Barcelona, Spain and will continue testing throughout the week. Canadian Jacques Villeneuve was at the wheel of the 1999 challenger, powered by a Supertec engine.

"Isn't it beautiful?" Villeneuve told the Journal de Montreal while admiring the new car in Spain. "Blue, black, grey and yellow are better than red (the colour of his former Williams car). "I'm really looking forward to starting this new adventure with BAR. It's another big challenge in my career."

The official unveiling of the team and the car for the international press is set for Jan. 6 at the BAR factory in Brackley, England.

Montreal company invests in BAR/Villenuve

The British American Racing team is expected to strengthen its ties to Canada in a lucrative sponsorship deal.

The french-language newspaper La Presse reports Montreal-based communications giant Teleglobe is negotiating a sponsorship contract that would spend $110 million on Villeneuve and the new Formula One team over the next five years.

"We're on the home stretch of intense negotiations," Teleglobe president Charles Sirois said. "There are a few loose ends that need to be tied up, but we expect an agreement soon."

The deal could see the logos of Teleglobe and Excel, the Dallas-based communications company it merged with in November, given prominent space on the Reynard-Supertec car along with British American Tobacco's brand logos. Teleglobe would also place ads on the helmet and driving suit of Villeneuve, the 1997 world champion who left the Williams team to join BAR last fall.

Thanks to John Marchesan at TSN for both reports.