Daniel Ricciardo is fighting to stay in Formula 1 with the Racing Bulls. The former Red Bull driver and eight-time Grand Prix winner has almost always had to line up behind teammate Yuki Tsunoda this year. The contract with the Japanese driver was extended before the F1 qualifying in Montreal, but Ricciardo will probably have to duel with New Zealander Liam Lawson for the second cockpit in the RB team.
The Australian’s ongoing misery has already attracted a number of critics. Most recently Jacques Villeneuve. The former Formula 1 world champion is known for attracting attention with biting remarks. He harshly criticized Ricciardo on Sky F1 before the Canadian GP.
Jacques Villeneuve on Ricciardo: If you don’t have what it takes, go home
Villeneuve is losing patience with Ricciardo, who was kicked out of McLaren ahead of his comeback in the small Red Bull team in 2022 despite a contract still running. “We’ve been hearing the same thing for years: ‘We have to make the car better for him, poor guy.’ No! You go to all that trouble for a driver like Lewis Hamilton, who has won many world championships, and not for a driver who doesn’t have what it takes. If you don’t have what it takes, go home,” Villeneuve sharply criticized.
“I think his image has kept him in Formula 1 more than his results,” Villeneuve continued. Ricciardo reacted to the criticism during qualifying in Canada, first on the track with an impressive fifth place and then directly afterwards on the microphone. He lashed out at Villeneuve and even got personal.
Daniel Ricciardo counters: Villeneuve has had too many hits on his head
“I don’t know what he said. But I heard he was talking shit. But he always does,” Ricciardo raged against the former Williams driver, who often voices his opinion on issues in the premier class. “I think he hit his head a few too many times. I don’t know if he’s playing ice hockey or something,” Ricciardo vented his anger.
“Whatever. I’ll give him the time of day, but all those people can go to hell,” the Honey Badger shot back at his critics. “I’d like to say more, but I won’t,” he concluded his angry speech.
Answer on the track: P5 in Canada qualifying
The 2024 Canadian GP will mark a special anniversary for Ricciardo. Exactly ten years ago, he won his first Formula 1 race on this track. So it seems only fitting that on the anniversary of his victory, he also delivered one of his best qualifying performances of the year.
In Q3 he delivered a sensational lap that took him up to P5. Less than two tenths of a second separated him from pole position. “The car felt good. I was able to slide it well and drive it a bit more aggressively,” he explained his performance on the track.
Ricciardo is also convinced that the mental work he did after the disappointing GP weekend in Monaco has benefited him. The Formula 1 race on Sunday will show whether his good qualifying performance can be translated into a good GP result. It would be his first points on a race Sunday. So far he has only collected points in the F1 sprint in Miami, even then after a sensational qualifying.