DECEMBER 18, 2001

Now what does Pollock do?

THE departure of Craig Pollock from British American Racing is likely to have a number of side-effects, not least the fact that Jacques Villeneuve's future with the team must now be questioned. Villeneuve is signed up for 2002 on a contract which is very expensive for the team. The new team boss David Richards may feel it is a good idea to try to negotiate a deal which makes more sense of the team as Villeneuve's performance has not been that much better than Olivier Panis.

Villeneuve was high on Renault's shopping list a year ago but with Jarno Trulli and Fernando Alonso on long-term contracts with the team there may not be any space for Villeneuve, although the chance to get a French-speaking star (and a former Renault World Champion) might be tempting for the Renault management. The current team boss Flavio Briatore will probably not like that idea as he manages both Trulli and Alonso. This, however, could become a source of conflict if Villeneuve is on the market.

There have been rumors (already) that Pollock might take over from Briatore at Renault but this does not seem to be very credible.

Pollock, however, is not thought likely to sit back and not try to get back into F1 as he remains a highly ambitious individual.