Villeneuve: Hamilton has no excuses in `08

Jacques Villeneuve says Lewis Hamilton will have no excuses if he doesn`t win this year`s title after “losing” last year`s crown.

McLaren driver Hamilton, making his grand prix debut last year, led the championship race for a big part of the season, but in the end lost out to Ferrari`s Kimi Raikkonen by one point.

Former world champion Villeneuve reckons Hamilton will have no excuses this season, and the Canadian believes the Briton could come under pressure from teammate Heikki Kovalainen.

“He`s a quick guy, but last year he managed to lose the championship,” Villeneuve told Gazzetta dello Sport. “Now he doesn`t have the excuse of being a rookie anymore. He must win.

“Kovalainen has already been quicker than Hamilton: that means that if you are not in the right environment, you don`t come up with the goods. This year the car seems to suit him and he`s going quick.”

Hamilton partnered two-time world champion Fernando Alonso last season, but the Spaniard left the team following a bitter relationship with McLaren.

Villeneuve said he was sorry to see the way Alonso was treated by the team.

“What I was most sorry about was the way Fernando Alonso was treated,” he said. “I didn`t understand why. I`ve always liked Fernando, instead they treated him like a rookie.

“After winning two world titles it`s normal to be respected, but this didn`t happen. As for the spy story, I didn`t follow it much. Besides, there`s always been espionage in F1.

“He`s a great driver, one who always gives everything he has. Even though his car doesn`t yet go very fast, he manages to do great things.”

Villeneuve is racing in Bahrain this weekend in the Speedcar series.

4.4.2008   ▪ Formula One    ▪ Hamilton, Villeneuve    ▪ www.autosport.com