Motorsport
Villeneuve loses 10 positions on Spanish GP grid over engine change
By DPA
May 11, 2006, 15:37 GMT

Barcelona - Jacques Villeneuve will lose 10 positions on the starting grid of the Spanish Formula One Grand Prix on Sunday because his BMW-Sauber team had to change the engine of the ex-world champion from Canada.

BMW said in a statement Thursday that the engine may have been damaged when the car was loaded onto a truck after the European Grand Prix last weekend and that the change was made as a precaution.

By rules of the governing body FIA each engine must last two race weekends. Engine-changes after one race are punished with a loss of 10 positions on the grid compared to the qualifying result.

The 1997 world champion Villeneuve had to swallow the same fate at the Australian Grand Prix earlier in the season.