Villeneuve making a comeback with Stefan GP?

Jacques Villeneuve could return to Formula 1 this year if the Stefan GP team secures an entry to participate in the championship. The 1997 F1 world champion is said to have accepted the terms of a contract to join the Serbian team, which still hopes to compete in the premier category of motorsport this year. An announcement could come as early as next week.

Sources close to the team claim that the 38-year-old Canadian would likely be joined by Japanese driver Kazuki Nakajima and Indian driver Karun Chandhok as a reserve driver. However, the latter stated via his Twitter account that nothing had been signed yet.

« To clarify the situation, there is currently no agreement with Stefan GP, » he writes. « Believe me, if I had signed an agreement in F1, I would want to proudly shout it from the rooftops. »

Villeneuve has not raced in Formula 1 since 2006 with BMW, although the French-speaking driver admits he is actively seeking an option for a comeback. The former Williams, BAR, and Renault driver is currently training in the Austrian Alps and has remained active in the motorsport world since leaving Formula 1. He notably participated in two 24 Hours of Le Mans races for Peugeot and tried his hand at Nascar. If Villeneuve returns, it would be his third comeback in the sport. Additionally, it would be the first time since 1985 that five world champions share the grid.

As a reminder, Stefan GP purchased part of the Toyota team and plans to test at the Portimao circuit at the end of the month. The team has also sent equipment to Bahrain and Malaysia in case they are in the race. Although the Serbian team doesn’t have an entry, doubts remain about the future of USF1 and Campos Meta, both of which are registered for the 2010 championship but have not yet launched their cars or finalized their driver line-up.