1997 Formula 1 World Champion Villeneuve Criticizes Ricciardo’s “Childish” and “Unprofessional” Reaction
1997 Formula 1 World Champion Jacques Villeneuve has unleashed scathing criticism towards Daniel Ricciardo, labelling the Australian’s reaction to criticism as “childish” and “unprofessional”. The war of words between Villeneuve and Ricciardo began during the Canadian Grand Prix, with the former questioning Ricciardo’s performance on the grid.
Ricciardo responded by delivering a strong qualifying performance, securing fifth place in Montreal, and then proceeded to make a cheeky comment about Villeneuve being hit on the head. Although Ricciardo managed to convert his qualifying success into an eighth-place finish in the race, Villeneuve has refused to retract his initial comments.
“Daniel Ricciardo is a hot potato,” Villeneuve said. “It’s always risky to criticise him because he’s extremely protected by his team and the media and by fans on social media.”
Villeneuve believes that Ricciardo’s lack of consistency and underwhelming results since leaving Red Bull have been masked by his protected status. “Ultimately, the results have not been there. He was really good at Red Bull and since he left them, it’s been very difficult and his return hasn’t been flamboyant,” he explained.
The Canadian also took issue with Ricciardo’s immature response to criticism, lamenting that drivers like Ricciardo, who are considered role models, should conduct themselves in a more professional manner. “What I find incredible is the reaction that some of these drivers have nowadays in the media,” Villeneuve said. “It’s completely unprofessional and has nothing to do with the business and it can be personally insulting, which is amazing.”
Villeneuve’s criticism comes on the back of Ricciardo’s recent struggle to outperform his team-mate Yuki Tsunoda, who has accumulated 10 more points this season. The Canadian believes that Ricciardo’s protected status has led to a lack of scrutiny, adding that the Australian needs to take responsibility for his underwhelming performances.
“He’s not lived up to expectations and he’s not consistent, so he knows he’s not up to speed and he hasn’t had results that have been good enough,” Villeneuve said. “It’s that simple. There’s nothing wrong with saying that. Saying it might hurt, but you’re in F1, just take it and move on. The truth hurts.”
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