I can still win races - JV

Jacques Villeneuve is enjoying a new lease of life at BMW-Sauber and says he still can win races in Formula One. A revitalised JV has a new spring in his step after BMW-Sauber's encouraging start to the 2006 campaign and told reporters in Australia: "Definitely I can still win races. I can still race hard from the first lap to the last lap and that's what matters. I'm not ready to stop but it doesn't just depend on me."

BMW's resources have given the team a new chance at Formula One glory and the Switzerland-based outfit have made progress so far this year.

"It's encouraging and you can feel it in the team," he said. "Everybody is working with a very positive mind set. There is a lot of energy. As a driver you can feel the energy around you.

"If that is heavy it makes your life a lot more difficult. It makes driving tiring and it's really hard to get anywhere. Now the energy is so positive you just take it in and you can do better things."

BMW have grand designs on success in Formula One after a disappointing link up with Williams.

As well as bringing a smile back to Villeneuve's face, they have also rekindled his hopes of returning to the podium after a five-year gap.

"So far the car is fun to drive," he said. "It's hard to get the wrong set-up, normally the car is good and we can just make it go a bit better. It seems it will be difficult to have a really hard weekend. It's an easy car to be aggressive with - you think you are on the limit but you can be more aggressive and go faster".

"Last year when you did that you just ended up going off or going slower.

"Ultimately we are just missing a little bit of everything, there is not one area that is really bad. Everything is good we just need to make it a little bit better.

"I think our normal position is seventh and eighth, if no-one has any problems. It's better than last year."