Ricciardo Claps Back at Villeneuve’s Criticism: Vows to Prove Worth on Track

Daniel Ricciardo responds to Jacques Villeneuve’s repeated critiques: “I would never speak ill of someone”

Daniel Ricciardo has discussed his disagreement with the 1997 Formula 1 world champion, Jacques Villeneuve.

During the Canadian Grand Prix, Villeneuve harshly criticized Ricciardo, challenging his position in Formula 1.

In Montreal, the ex-Williams racer questioned: "Why is he still competing in F1? Why?"

"For the past four or five years, the narrative hasn't changed. The constant refrain has been, 'We need to improve the car for his sake.' Unfortunately, that excuse has been overused for five years. This is F1, after all."

Ricciardo responded later with a solid performance, remarking, "I'm still unaware of his exact words. However, I've gathered he's been bad-mouthing me. Though, that's typical of him.”

During his conversation with Mirror Sport, Ricciardo expressed his dissatisfaction, pointing out that he felt let down by the negative comments, especially coming from Villeneuve, who, as an ex-F1 racer, understands the complexities involved in the profession.

In Montreal, Jacques was discussing various topics, and there were moments when I felt somewhat provoked. My attitude was, 'Okay, if you're looking to challenge me, I'm ready'. I believe I handled some of those situations quite effectively,” he mentioned.

Typically, I don't pay attention to it, but the team informs me about it to get me ready for the comments that have been made. It does get me agitated… considering this is a world champion we're talking about, in the case of Jacques, it's a person who understands the sport.

"I might offer thoughts on fellow racers and say, 'Sure, he's been having a tough time,' but I'd never bad-mouth anyone since I understand and empathize with their experiences. Nobody else can buckle up and participate in this; it's an incredibly unique sport."

"My feelings leaned more towards disappointment, yet I saw it as an opportunity to show those doubters that I haven't gone anywhere. I turned the situation to my benefit, and I'm okay with it. I'm aware that everyone has their own views. My mindset shifted from being upset to using it as motivation."

From that point on, Ricciardo has experienced a consistent improvement in performance, highlighted by several remarkable races.

Before the summer hiatus, there was a strong indication that Ricciardo would rejoin Red Bull, teaming up with Max Verstappen once again.

"He further mentioned, "Things are starting to come together a bit more. The race in Canada was certainly a more significant moment of change. I received the new chassis for China, and things improved in Miami.

"I experienced a few subpar performances, and then, during the event in Canada, there was significant pressure. Speculations were circulating that I might be at risk of losing my position. I thought to myself, 'Alright, everything I've attempted this year hasn't yielded the results I aimed for, for one reason or another – it's time to make some adjustments'."

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