F1 returnee, Jacques Villeneuve has hit out at 'friend' and rival David Coulthard following the Bahrain GP, the Canadian blaming the Scot for putting him out ᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚof the race with three laps to go and depriving him of eighth place.

In the Sauber post-event release they noted that Villeneuve had been 'the innocent victim of a ꦦcollision' while 'poised to score the final point'. Following the incident JV was forced to retire with suspension problems.

"It's a real shame," JV said at the fini꧟sh, as rumours continue to persist that the Swiss team want to dump him after he has struggled to perform with the C24.

"The start went well, Turn One went well, and the car went well. I got pushed wide and had to give back a place on the first lap, but after that it was a mat꧃ter of keeping the pace and being consistent. I could certainly have got a point today. It wa🌱s only another lap and I would have passed Rubens [Barrichello], but then I got hit by David. I don't know why and I'll have to ask him...

"After that incident I could feel something wrong at the back of the car so I came into the pits so the tea🦄m could check it out. They subsequently discovered that there was damage to the rear suspension where David had hit me. It's disappointi🧜ng to get so close to a point and then lose it, but I'm feeling a lot more confident in the car after this race."

Team boss, Peter Saube✤r meanwhile has confirmed that DC was to blame for Villeneuve's retirement - noting that the Scot 'ran into him in the closing stages'.

Inter💜estingly though, DC didn't even mention it in his post-race comment issued by Red Bull.