Jacques Villeneuve is pleased to have started a debate about Daniel Ricciardo's place in Formula 1. The 1997 F1 world champion said the Australian was still there thanks to his popularity, and he was pleased that his comments had started a discussion about the relationship between talent and commercial exposure.
“It never occurred to me that I wanted to be proven right. It sparked a lot of reactions, sometimes negative, sometimes positive. Many people discussed the subject openly” Villeneuve told Mirror Sport.
“It's not about destroying anyone, but we have to face reality. I think people understood 'Jacques is not wrong, let's discuss it in depth', and that's what happened. That's what I'm happy about.”
“My feelings wouldn't be any different if Daniel Ricciardo had stayed at Red Bull. I'm not saying 'Oh, I'm happy he left F1'. I'm just happy to have brought the reality to the forefront. We want give people enough food for thought and that’s what makes me happy.”
Villeneuve denies having caused harm to Ricciardo with his statements, and he assures that it was not specifically against the pilot himself: “Daniel still has a good image and a good career, this has not harmed him.”
“It was just a conversation about the racing industry that got a little bit away from what's important. It was about saying what everyone was thinking. It's not about me to feel justified by the fact that he is excluded from F1 or not.”
The Canadian also wonders about Liam Lawson, who will face Max Verstappen at Red Bull. If he salutes the performance of the man who replaced Ricciardo at RB F1, he is worried about his mentality.
“We've seen drivers join their main team and get burned very quickly. Lawson has been fast and has done a good job on the main team. Lawson's attitude is strange and could end up causing problems.”
“He's very arrogant for someone with so little experience. So we'll see how that attitude works with Max and within the team. If Lawson is fast and pushes Max, there will be friction. But s 'There's no friction, that means they're not winners.'
“No one likes young people coming in and pushing you. New Zealand is not a country that brings great value to F1 or sponsors. They wouldn't have considered that. They just want the best drivers .”
