MONTREAL (AP) — Daniel Ricciardo let Jacques Villeneuve hear it at the Canadian Grand Prix on Saturday, a day after suggesting the former Canadian driver should not stay in Formula 1.
Ricciardo made a statement on track by qualifying fifth for Red Bull Junior Team RB, then set his sights on Villeneuve.
„I still don’t know what he said, but I heard him talking …, but he always does,” Ricciardo said. „I think he hit his head several times, I don’t know if he was playing ice hockey or something.”
Villeneuve, the 1997 F1 champion and son of racing driver Gilles Villeneuve, spoke about Ricciardo in a Sky Sports telecast.
„Why is he still in F1?” Villeneuve said. „For the last four, five years we’ve been hearing the same thing now – poor guy, he needs to do better. It’s been five years. Sorry, no, you’re in F1.
“You can make that effort for Lewis Hamilton, who won multiple championships. You’re not putting that effort into a driver who can’t cut it. Can’t cut? Go home, there’s someone else to take your place.
Ricciardo won the last of his eight career F1 wins in 2021. The 34-year-old Australian took his first F1 win in Montreal 10 years ago.
„I’m very motivated to do more than I did this year,” Ricciardo said. “I know how good those results feel, so I do it to feel that high.
“Coming into the week everything was perfect. I was really happy to come back to this circuit and drive here because I loved it. 10 years today to the day of my first win, that day changed my life. So a lot of good feelings come out of it.
While Ricciardo does not have a contract for next season, fellow driver Yuki Tsunoda will remain with the team, RB said on Saturday.
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