Motorsport: Villeneuve blasts Schumacher antics

LONDON - Former Formula One champion Jacques Villeneuve believes that attempts by Ferrari to manipulate the results of two races last season have damaged the sport and drivers Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello were "stupid" to have got involved.

Brazilian Barrichello was ordered to move over to allow Schumacher win the Austrian Grand Prix in May, and the five times world champion tried to set up a dead heat with his team mate at the US race in September.

"The antics in Austria and at Indianapolis this year involving Michael, Rubens and everyone behind the scenes at Ferrari were embarrassing," the British American Racing (BAR) driver told Thursday's edition of Autosport magazine.

"Rubens was stupid to wait until the last 10 metres to gift Michael the win in Austria."

"Then Michael was really stupid when he pushed Rubens on to the top step of the podium because he was embarrassed and worried about the booing.

"That just turned the sport into a joke. It was an insult to all of us who work really hard.

"You would think someone would have the guts to tell Michael: 'Don't do that kind of stuff any more'. But he goes to Indianapolis and he thinks he's capable of doing something he thinks is very clever and tries to engineer a dead heat.

"It turned into a real mess. F1 needs America, so Indianapolis was really bad and the whole of Europe was really mad anyway, so single-handedly he hurt F1 a lot."

Villeneuve famously clashed with Schumacher at Jerez on his way to winning the world title in 1997 but said it was the German's attempts to make out that the pair had not fallen out at the party afterwards which had provoked his ire.

"Ever since that moment, I've never respected him in the slightest," said the Canadian. "He has an attitude and approach to life which I despise and don't care for."

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He did concede that a record sixth world title for the German was almost inevitable next year, but that BAR would be a lot more competitive than last season.

"As long as he doesn't break a leg or Ferrari doesn't make a huge botch of the 2003 car, then there's nothing to stop him," he said.

"I'm confident we'll be racing wheel-to-wheel with the McLarens and Williams next year, and if the improvements continue the way they look they are, then I think we'll be pushing for the championship in 2004,"

Villeneuve said he might not be with the team by then as he would consider leaving BAR at the end of his contract in 2003 -- but only if Ferrari came calling.

"Well the only team now would be Ferrari," he said. "There's no reason to decide to go to any other team..."

"I wouldn't mind having (Schumacher) as a team mate. That would be great, as long as we have equal billing and status," he added.

The 30-year-old, who raced in his first grand prix in 1996, said another problem blighting Formula One was unproven young drivers on the grid.

"You know one of the reasons this sport is suffering is because there are too many inexperienced youngsters filling F1 seats," he said.

"First of all they don't have the ability to race Formula One cars and then they are nothing more than corporate mouthpieces for the manufacturers and sponsors ... at a time when the sport is crying out for characters."

"Part of the problem is the (governing body) FIA giving them superlicences.

"Ten years ago ... you had to win a Formula 3 championship, then F3000, then F1. Now it's all about getting rich young kids with sponsorship."