Former world champions Jacques Villeneuve did not attended a Formula One testing session this week despite speculation linking him with a return to the Williams team, his manager has said.
Newspaper reports yesterday suggested the Canadian driver, tipped as a possible Williams target for 2005 after losing his drive at BAR last year, had turned up at Le Castellet circuit in southern France on Monday.
"Jacques was, in actual fact, training in Monaco with his personal trainer and was even more surprised than me to hear that he was apparently in Paul Ricard (Le Castellet)," manager Craig Pollock said.
The speculation was triggered by a reported sighting of Villeneuve's private jet at the track owned by Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone, who is also eager for the Canadian to return to racing.
Williams have at least one vacancy for 2005 with Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya joining McLaren and Germany's Ralf Schumacher strongly tipped for a move to Toyota.