The major showdown in Canada showcased the rivalry between Jacques Villeneuve and Daniel Ricciardo.
Jacques Villeneuve has savaged Daniel Ricciardo, saying he cannot understand the excuses for the Honey Badger who should “go home” and let someone else have his RB seat.
Returning to the Formula 1 grid last season with Red Bull’s junior team, Daniel Ricciardo spoke of his dream of ending his career at the senior outfit with whom he won seven Grands Prix between 2014 and 2018.
Jacques Villeneuve questions ‘why’ is Daniel Ricciardo still in F1
However, that door was closed earlier this week when the team confirmed Sergio Perez had signed a new two-year extension. But even staying at RB for a second full season isn’t guaranteed.
Ricciardo has failed to match his team-mate Yuki Tsunoda, scoring five points to the Japanese driver’s 19, and while Helmut Marko says Tsunoda is “set” to continue, Ricciardo is in a race against reserve driver Liam Lawson for the second seat.
Villeneuve’s perspective on which direction RB should take is evident.
“Why is he still in F1? Why?” exclaimed the 1997 World Champion, currently providing commentary for Sky Sports during the Canadian Grand Prix.
“We’ve been hearing the same thing for the past four or five years: ‘We need to improve the car for him.’ How unfortunate for him!”
Apologies, but you have indeed been in Formula 1 for five years.
Perhaps you put in the effort for Lewis Hamilton, who has achieved numerous championships, but you do not make the same effort for a driver who cannot meet the standards.
“If you are unable to meet the standards, it’s better to leave and make way for someone else. This has always been the way in racing, as it represents the highest level of the sport.”
There is no justification for persevering and searching for justifications.
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Despite winning seven races during his time with Red Bull, Ricciardo’s transition to Renault and subsequently McLaren only resulted in a single victory. The Australian driver secured his first win for McLaren at the 2021 Italian Grand Prix.
After being released by the Woking team before the completion of his three-year contract, he accepted the position of a reserve driver at Red Bull. Eventually, he was promoted to take over Nyck de Vries’ spot during the 2023 season.
However, Villeneuve remains unimpressed by Ricciardo’s initial achievements in Formula 1.
The 53-year-old mentioned, “You guys always bring up the topic of the initial season or the first two seasons.”
“He was defeating a burnt-out [Sebastian] Vettel, who was desperately attempting to experiment with the car in order to secure victories but only ended up causing chaos during his race weekends.”
“After Max Verstappen, who was just starting out at 18 years old, had been beaten by him for half a season, he seemed to lose his winning streak and failed to surpass anyone thereafter.”
He expressed his belief that his presence in F1 has been sustained primarily by his public image rather than his actual performance.
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