Having told the world that he is a new, far mellower, person, it would appear that Jacques Villeneuve's claim could soon be put to the test.

On his return to the F1 paddock, the Canadian revealed that he no longer bore any grudges, and felt at peace with himself. He claimed to have met with former nemesis Michael Schumacher, saying that the meeting was cordial, while he also insisted that there was no longer any bad feeling regarding BAR and David Richards.

It was clear, almost from the moment that he arrived at BAR, that Richards had his own agenda, and that Villeneuve was not part of the plan. The relationship between the two men quickly deteriorated, and by Japan 2003 the Canadian had been neatly forced out.

Although Villeneuve claims to have put all this behind him, it seems that Richards hasn't.

According to The Times, the Englishman, who is a past master when it comes to dealing with the media, believes that Villeneuve (33), who drives for Renault in the remaining races of 2004 and Sauber in 2005, is to old to be making a comeback.

"When you have been a world champion, people expect you to come back at the same level, but it is difficult to be competitive when you have had a year out of a Formula One car," he said.

"I know drivers have come back successfully before," he added, "but these days you need young drivers. Youth is the great new thing in Formula One."

Referring to the Canadian's performance in China, Richards said: "Jaguar is not the fastest car on the circuit, but Jacques could not pass Webber to move up a place. Jacques has a hard job on his hands.

"I can't see Jacques being a threat to anyone next season," he added.

Which should be just the motivation Jacques needs to beat the Brackley cars in Japan, Brazil and beyond.