Villeneuve had hoped to build upon an eighth-place finish last time

Formula One rules say engines must last two races in a row, with a ten-place penalty for any unscheduled changes.

"It wasn't dropped but I won't say what happened as I have to blame a team member," said chief Mario Theissen.

"The risk was too high. He gets a fresh engine and the old one goes onto a dyno to complete the second race distance."