Villeneuve does not want to leave F1, but may have no choice

The Canadian, champion in 1997, is expected to be replaced at the BAR team next year by Japanese Takuma Sato at the behest of engine supplier Honda.

Villeneuve said: "I am not ready to retire. But I find it hard to imagine racing in anything else than F1.

"But once you don't have something anymore, you start thinking different. Maybe something else would excite me."

Villeneuve, 32, said he was interested in the idea of competing at the Le Mans 24 Hours sportscar race.

"I've achieved my childhood dream, which was to win the F1 title," he said.

Someone has to take the fall for the lack of results Jacques Villeneuve

"I've won the Indianapolis 500 here so even if I was forced to retire, I wouldn't bite my nails, wake up in the morning and feel sorry for myself.

"That is good. It allows me to do all my thinking with a clear mind.

"Le Mans would be a fun thing to race, just because no one's ever won Cart, the Indy 500, F1 and Le Mans,

Villeneuve has said he has received no offers from other teams for 2004.

But he said he had no regrets about leaving the Williams team in 1998 to drive for BAR, which was set up around him by his manager Craig Pollock.

But Villeneuve believes he is being made to pay for the team's lack of success, as Pollock did two years ago when he was replaced by David Richards.

"Someone has to take the fall for the lack of results," Villeneuve said.

"And it is easy. Craig got the fall two years ago so I guess I am the next one in line.

Villeneuve says he has no regrets about joining BAR

"Even though the results have not been very good, there's been a couple of podiums, there's been a feel of achievement, and we had a good time doing it all.

"And we were all working in the same direction, so it was worth it. It's just the last couple of years that have been highly unenjoyable.

"But I don't have any regrets. The first contract I signed was an easy decision to make.

"It was just a big risk, but people could work themselves into understanding that. It was fun to take that risk and find out what happened."