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Stefan would have been competitive - Villeneuve

Jacques Villeneuve had high hopes for Stefan GP © Sutton Images

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Jacques Villeneuve reckons Stefan GP could have been competitive if it had been given an entry to the 2010 world championship.

On Wednesday the FIA announced that US F1 would not contend this year's championship and that no other team would be allowed to take its place. Stefan GP had acquired Toyota's 2010 chassis in the hope of being allowed to race at the season opener in Bahrain, but will now have to apply for the 2011 season if it wants to race. Despite not testing the car, Villeneuve, who was lined up to drive alongside Kazuki Nakajima, reckons it would have been more competitive than the other new teams, Lotus, Virgin and HRT.

"Of course it's disappointing," he told Speed TV. "The car and team looked very promising, but we always knew there was a risk without having the entry, and it was running late. So it's not a full surprise, but it's still disappointing. There was a lot of potential with the car. It was built and it was a full-blown project. It wasn't something started from scratch, and it was going to be competitive. It's a shame because it would have been a new team which could have run properly, but that's the way it is."

Villeneuve said he will not give up on a return to Formula One and said he would continue with his training programme in case an opportunity arose.

"It's been a long process, so there's no point to can it now," he said. "Who knows, there might be some driver changes during the year, as the teams are not all fully secure. And there's still 2011."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.