Motorsport: Villeneuve to prepare with video game

LONDON - Canadian Jacques Villeneuve is hoping to get up to speed for Sunday's Bahrain Grand Prix with the help of a Formula One video game.

The 1997 world champion missed the inaugural race at Bahrain's Sakhir circuit last year after being dropped by BAR at the end of 2003.

Now making a comeback with Sauber, after three races at Renault late last season, the Canadian will be one of five drivers racing for the first time in the Middle East.

"I haven't seen it but I know that it's dry, sunny and sandy so visually it must be very interesting," he said of the circuit in a team preview today.

"Talking with other drivers, they say that the track is fun to drive but I didn't see the race on TV last year so I don't really know what to expect.

"I am also going to play with an F1 video game that includes this track to get used to the layout, but I will really have to find out when I get there."

Formula One drivers, particularly rookies, regularly familiarise themselves with grand prix circuits by playing computer games.

Sunday's race will be Sauber's 200th grand prix but Villeneuve has had a disappointing start with the Swiss-based team, finishing 13th in Australia and skidding off in Malaysia.

His Brazilian teammate Felipe Massa came 10th in both races, beating Villeneuve in Australia despite starting from the back on a full fuel load.

There has already been speculation that Sauber could seek to replace the Canadian with BAR's British test driver Anthony Davidson.

Briton David Coulthard suggested last week that Villeneuve could 'walk away or be encouraged to do so' unless the situation at Sauber improved soon.

- REUTERS