"Peter gave me the chance to continue to drive in F1 in 2005 and I wanted to thank him for this," said Villeneuve.

"He is a real passionate guy, he loves racing and I am sure that we will continue to see him around. He has put a very efficient team together with a much a smaller budget than most of the teams in the paddock."

Villeneuve also had kind words for teammate Felipe Massa, who is moving to Ferrari next season to partner Michael Schumacher.

"China was also Felipe's last race with Sauber. He is off to Ferrari and I would like to wish him all the best there. I was really happy to be working with him this year - Felipe is a great guy, very quick on the track and I had a lot of fun with him. He has invited me to eat some pasta at Ferrari next year and I will not miss this opportunity!"

In the meantime, Villeneuve still faces uncertainty over whether or not BMW will chose to honour his 2006 contract. He remains optimistic about his chances, despite his planned meeting with Mario Theissen in China getting canceled at the last minute.

"BMW, who are very committed to the new challenge of running their own team, will undoubtedly become a very strong contender in the near future and I am excited to be part of this project."

View a Printer Friendly version of this Story.

Bookmark or share this story with:

• Digg
• Delicious
• Facebook
• Reddit
• Stumbleupon

SPORTNETWORK SPECIALS

• Think you know your sport? Click here to try the Sportnetwork Prize Quizzes

Sauber F1 Poll