Daniel Ricciardo Fires Back at Jacques Villeneuve’s Criticism with Exceptional Formula 1 Qualifying Performance at Canadian Grand Prix
June 8, 2024, Montreal, Canada – In a stunning display of speed and skill, Daniel Ricciardo qualified an impressive fifth at the Canadian Grand Prix, silencing his critics, including 1997 Formula 1 World Champion Jacques Villeneuve. Villeneuve had made a scathing assessment of Ricciardo earlier this weekend, questioning his performance this season.
However, Ricciardo proved his doubters wrong, excelling at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve to progress to Q3 and secure his highest starting spot of the season. The Australian driver finished just 0.178s behind George Russell’s pole position time and out-qualified his RB team-mate Yuki Tsunoda, who was eighth, for the second time in nine attempts in 2024.
“So I still don’t know what he said, but I heard he’s been talking s***,” Ricciardo said. “But he always does. I think he’s hit his head a few too many times. Won’t give him the time of day, but all those people could suck it. I want to say more, but it’s alright. We’ll leave him behind.”
Ricciardo reiterated his confidence in his inherent pace, attributing his struggles this season to consistency rather than a lack of speed. “Well, I think this year hasn’t really been always a question of if I’ve still got the speed to do it,” he expressed. “It’s just been the consistency, which I haven’t been able to show it week in, week out. So it’s definitely been more of a struggle, well, more than I thought, but I know the speed’s there and it’s just tapping into it and I look at myself first.”
Looking ahead to the race, Ricciardo declared his intention to go on the attack rather than focus on keeping cars behind. “Well, it’s, you know, the line to Turn One’s pretty short, so there’s a good chance of keeping it [the place],” he previewed. “But I mean, looking at quali times, it’s pretty close. So maybe we can go forward and not worry about the cars behind. So we’ll see.”
Today’s exceptional performance marks a significant milestone for Ricciardo, who celebrates exactly 10 years since his first Formula 1 win on June 8th. With his confidence boosted, the Australian driver is poised to make a strong impression in the race, proving his doubters wrong and silencing his critics once and for all.
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