Villeneuve did not attend test

Jacques Villeneuve's manager has denied that the former world champion attended a Formula One testing session this week amid speculation about a possible comeback with Williams.

British newspapers reported on Tuesday that the Canadian, tipped as a possible Williams target for 2005 after losing his drive at BAR last year, had turned up at Le Castellet circuit in southern France on Monday.

"Jacques was, in actual fact, training in Monaco with his personal trainer and was even more surprised than me to hear that he was apparently in Paul Ricard (Le Castellet)," Craig Pollock told the driver's official website.

"We did have a good laugh together and had a good discussion about the good old F1 rumour mill."

The speculation was triggered by a reported sighting of Villeneuve's private jet at the track owned by Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone, who is also eager for the Canadian to return to racing.

Sources close to Villeneuve's management, however, said the plane was often leased out to others.

Williams said they had not invited Villeneuve, who won the title with them in 1997, to the circuit and he would not be having a seat fitting or test for them in France.

The team have at least one vacancy for 2005 with Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya joining McLaren and Germany's Ralf Schumacher strongly tipped for a move to Toyota.

"It is one thing that is accepted up and down the pitlane that Ralf is going to Toyota," Briton David Coulthard told Motorsport News weekly on Wednesday. "It just hasn't been announced yet."