HINWIL, Switzerland (AP-CP) - Former world champion Jacques Villeneuve has signed a two-year contract to drive for the Sauber-Petronas team starting next year, the Formula One team said Wednesday.

The announcement came only hours after the Renault team apparently cleared the way for the Canadian to replace Italy's Jarno Trulli for the remaining three races of the current season.

Sauber said its contract with Villeneuve comes into effect Nov. 1, one week after the season ends with the Brazilian Grand Prix.

Sauber said it was retaining Felipe Massa of Brazil as its second driver for 2005, meaning Giancarlo Fisichella of Italy lost his seat.

``I am extremely excited to be back in Formula One with the Sauber-Petronas team,'' Villeneuve said in the team statement. ``I appreciate the confidence everybody is showing in me.''

``It is my goal to work with Peter (Sauber) and his team to bring them forward in the championship during the next two seasons.

``In my recent visit to Sauber I have been extremely impressed by the professionalism which is apparent throughout the factory. I am looking forward to seeing the results that will be developed by the state-of-the-art wind tunnel.''

Sauber currently stands sixth in the constructors' championship.

Its best results this season came in Belgium (Massa fourth and Fisichella fifth), Montreal (fourth, Fisichella) and Monaco (Massa fifth).

Villeneuve, a native of Iberville, Que., quit BAR-Honda with one race left in 2003 after he learned that the team planned to replace him this year with Japanese driver Takuma Sato.

The Canadian, who has been without a team since, won the world championship in 1997 with Williams.

Sauber chief Peter Sauber said Villeneuve was ``absolutely keen and committed to return to Formula One.''

``He was always a great fighter and I am convinced that together we can achieve a lot. I have to admit that signing a former world champion is something truly special for me.''

He said it was an obligation to provide Villeneuve with a car that ``meets his expectations.''

``Sauber-Petronas has made considerable progress this year, and I am confident that we are ready to tackle this challenge,'' he said.

Earlier Wednesday, Renault released Trulli as one of its drivers, apparently clearing the way for Villeneuve to join the outfit until the end of the season.

Renault said in a statement that the Italian driver ``has been released from his obligations to the team with immediate effect.''

``The team and Jarno feel that an early separation will allow both parties to conclude the year in the post positive way,'' Renault team managing director Flavio Briatore said.

Trulli, who had been with Renault since 2002, said the move will ``give me the opportunity to start with my new team sooner than expected.''

Renault said it would announce its driver lineup for the Sept. 26 Chinese Grand Prix in ``due course.'' Spain's Fernando Alonso is Renault's other current driver.

Villeneuve had a seat-fitting at Renault's base in Silverstone on Tuesday and was scheduled to test at the British track Wednesday and Thursday.

``This test might lead to Jacques joining the team for the final three races of the season beginning next week at the Chinese Grand Prix,'' Briatore said.

After the Chinese Grand Prix, the Formula One season concludes with the Japanese Grand Prix on Oct. 10 and the Brazilian Grand Prix on Oct. 24.

Jaguar pulls out of Formula One

Associated Press

9/17/2004

BIRMINGHAM, England (AP) - Jaguar and its parent company Ford are pulling out of Formula One racing at the end of this season.


"Jaguar's presence in Formula One has been a valuable marketing and brand awareness platform particularly outside our main markets of the U.S. and the U.K.," Joe Greenwell, Jaguar chairman said Friday in a statement.

"However it was our collective view that it is time for Jaguar Cars to focus 100 per cent on our core business.



"As part of the package of measures to get the Jaguar business back on track and focus management and financial resources on the core business, Jaguar will withdraw from Formula One at the end of this season.

Jaguar, whose drivers are Australia's Mark Webber and Austria's Christian Klien, is seventh in the F1 championship with 10 points.

Jaguar entered F1 in the 2000 season, after it bought out the Stewart Ford team. The team has foundered as one of the tail-end teams, never able to compete with the likes of Ferrari, McLaren, Williams, Renault and BAR-Honda.

Ford is also the engine supplier for two other F1 teams - Jordan and Minardi.

The announcement came a day after Jaguar said it was stopping production at a factory in central England with the loss of 1,100 jobs. The move was prompted by poor sales in the United States.

The decision was announced after executives from Ford met with union officials at Jaguar's site at Birmingham in central England.

10/22/2004

FIA, the governing body of Formula One, has approved new engine regulations which will see manufacturers switch to 2.4 litre V8 engines in place of the current 3-litre V10 powerplants in 2006.

FIA also revealed several other new regulations which will come into effect next year and in 2006 after teams failed to approve any of the three proposals submitted to the Technical Working Group back on September 6.

Last June, the World Motor Sport Council voted unimously to invoke Article 7.5 of the Concorde Agreement and gave F1 teams two months to come up with their own proposals to reduce speeds on the grounds of safety.

While F1 teams were prepared to agree on the rule changes regarding bodywork and tires in one of the three proposals put forth, they came up one vote short of agreeing on changes to F1 engines.

On Thursday, the World Motor Sport Council decied to impose proposal number two with some of the regulations taking effect March 1, 2005 and the rest being implemented January 1, 2006.

Among the new rules taking effect next year are changes to the bodywork (aerodynamics) to raise the front wing, bring the rear wing forward, reduce the diffuser height and cut back the bodywork in front of the rear wheels. The move is expected to result in a 20-percent cut in downforce with minimal loss of drag.

Also teams will be restricted to one set of tires for qualifying and race day, which should result in a harder tire being produced and a reduction in cornering speeds.

Engines will also have to last two Grand Prix weekends, instead of the current one weekend.

In 2006, 2.4 litre V8 engines will be introduced alongwith a number of restrictions concerning design and permitted materials. Independent teams, such as Minardi, Jordan and Sauber, will be allowed to use the current 3-litre format through 2007, provided there are restrictions on revs which will be determined by FIA.

"These regulations impose restrictions on engine development comparable to those already applicable to Formula One chassis," read a statement from FIA. "Such restrictions have by no means stifled technical development of the chassis, but they have prevented uncontrollable increases in performance.

"In a similar way the proposed engine restrictions will significantly slow the rate of increase of engine power output."

FIA says when it reduced engine capacity from 3.5 litres to 3 litres midway through the 1994 season, it predicted horsepower limits would be 650 maximum. Instead, we have seen horsepower climb to as much as 1,000 over the last few years.

"It's what we expected and I'm completely in favour," said Renault's Flavio Briatore.

Several manufacturers, notably BMW, Mercedes and Honda, have stated they would re-evaluate their participation in Formula One if there was a change in engine power.

"We are committed to Formula One and I think the easiest thing to do in the light of something like this is quit," said Honda's Ottmar Szafnauer. "We want the engine formula to be open so that we can differentiate ourselves one from the other, which makes the sport interesting for us and is one of the reasons we are here."

Toyota has indicated it would accept a change to V8 power adding that extending engine life to two races may open the door to supplying a second team, possibly as early as 2005.