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Villeneuve called off Hockenheim trip for NASCAR seat

Jacques Villeneuve was scheduled to travel to Hockenheim this weekend.

The 1997 world champion has confirmed a collaboration between ‘Villeneuve Racing’ and the Italian racing outfit Durango in a bid to secure the 13th team spot in 2011.

But Villeneuve’s visit to the German paddock was called off at late notice when an opportunity to attempt to qualify for the NASCAR Sprint Cup event at Indianapolis emerged.

Alongside hoping to return to the F1 grid in 2011 with a team bearing his name, the 39-year-old said he is also pushing for a full-time seat in America’s premier series.

“There’s a lot going on, and until you have something finalised, you have to look at every opportunity that’s out there,” AP quoted him as saying from Indianapolis.

As for the Durango bid, the French Canadian explained: “The opportunity was there, so there’s no way I was going to say ‘no, don’t bother’.

“I don’t have a full-time ride here anyway, I can’t just (ignore) something and stay home.  But I haven’t spent as much time as I should have or would have wanted to on it because I’ve been here,” he admitted.

As for F1 versus NASCAR, Villeneuve said: “It’s really hard to tell you what the preference would be because you have to wait until the real opportunity is there on the table.

“Until there’s something full time that we can get going, I can’t really focus on one.”

© RIF | GMM