Theissen about JV

BMW motorsport director Mario Theissen has explained the reasons why the team decided to hire Jacques for the 2006 campaign. The Canadian will partner Nick Heidfeld next season as the team take to the track under the name of BMW-Sauber for the first time.

Although Jacques endured a difficult start to 2005, his steady improvement didn’t go unnoticed at BMW and was the principal factor in their decision to rehire the 1997 World Champ.

Mario Theissen, BMW Motorsport Director "When it came to Jacques Villeneuve, we took our time in making a careful assessment of his performance. The start of season 2005 was difficult for him for a number of reasons, but then as the year went on he made significant progress. He made a good impression during his first test in the Sauber C24B with the BMW V8 engine. We believe he's going to improve further."