For the Canadian Grand Prix, the omnipotent Sky Sports channel recruited Jacques Villeneuve as a consultant. And the least we can say is that the 1997 world champion, whose harsh criticism of his peers is his stock in trade, did particularly well by attacking one of his favorite targets: Daniel Ricciardo who is having a more than disappointing season at Racing Bulls, being dominated by his young teammate Yuki Tsunoda.
Villeneuve once again got into trouble as he should by openly questioning, live, the merits of the Australian’s presence in Formula 1. The Quebecer did not hesitate to point out that Ricciardo did not strictly nothing brilliant since his departure from Red Bull Racing at the end of 2018.
“Why is he still in F1? Villeneuve blurted out from the outset. We’ve been hearing the same thing for four or five years now, that we need to improve the car for him. The poor…”
“However, we are in F1. A team can make this effort for a driver like Lewis Hamilton, multiple world champion, but we do not make this effort for a driver who cannot perform. If you can’t do it, go home! There will be someone else to replace you. It’s always been like this in racing. F1 is the pinnacle of motorsport.”
gullIt was his image that allowed Ricciardo to stay in F1 rather than his results.
“There is no reason to always try to find excuses for him. You all talk about his first two seasons at RBR. He was beating a Sebastian Vettel who was tired of fighting to reinvent a car that would allow him to win at new and who therefore missed his weekends And then, for half a season he beat Verstappen who was 18 and who was just starting out.
“He didn’t beat anyone after that. I think it was his image that allowed him to stay in F1 rather than his results,” concludes Villeneuve.
Jacques’ scud addressed to Ricciardo deeply divided Internet users. Some were outraged by such incisive remarks while others recalled that Villeneuve has a more prestigious track record than that of Danny Rick and therefore issues a completely legitimate opinion.
To complete his work, Villeneuve also attacked Lance Stroll, another of his favorite targets, questioning the real motivation of his compatriot to race in F1 since 2017.
“A question we never ask: does he really have the choice to run?” he says about his compatriot. “Is being a racing driver really his calling, or is it just his father’s dream?”
“His father Lawrence was always extremely passionate about racing, I knew him from my IndyCar days and he always wanted to become a driver himself. He was unable to do so and is now living his life. dream with Aston Martin. Did his son really have a choice?
One thing is certain: Villeneuve’s comments on his land will fuel a lot of discussion in the paddock and among the fans.
