‘Why is he still in F1?’: 1997 World champion Jacques Villeneuve delivers almighty spray towards Daniel Ricciardo

Daniel Ricciardo still hopes for a return to Red Bull one day, but one former World Champion believes the Australian doesn’t even deserve a spot on the F1 grid at present.

Todd Balym

2 min read

June 8, 2024 - 8:22AM

Daniel Ricciardo has come under fir from from a former world champion. Picture: Qian Jun/MB Media/Getty Images

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Former world champion Jacques Villeneuve has launched a blistering attack on Daniel Ricciardo claiming his “image’ is the only reason he still has a seat in Formula One.

While young Australian Jack Doohan had his shot at posting an impressive F1 audition ruined by a wet first practice session at the Canadian Grand Prix, Ricciardo was under siege from the outspoken 1997 F1 champion about his continued failures to deliver results.

“Why’s he still in F1? Why?” Villeneuve said as a guest expert on Sky Sports coverage.

“We are hearing the same thing now for the last four or five years. ‘We have to make the car better for him’. Sorry, it’s been five years of that. No, you are in F1.

“Maybe you make that effort for Lewis Hamilton whose won multiple championships. You don’t make that effort for a driver who can’t cut it.

“If you can’t cut it, go home, there’s someone else to take your place. That’s how it’s always been in racing, it’s the pinnacle of the sport.

“There’s no reason to keep going and to keep finding excuses, and you all talk about that first season or first two seasons, he was beating a Vettel that was burnt out, that was trying to invent things with the car to go win and just making a mess of his weekends.

“Then he was beating for half a season Verstappen when Verstappen was 18 years old, just starting, that was it, he stopped beating anyone after that.”

Villeneuve did not hold any punches. Picture: Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Ricciardo had his dreams of a Red Bull return in 2025 crushed during the week when the champion team confirmed Sergio Perez had signed a two-year contract extension.

The 34-year-old is now in a battle with Yuki Tsunoda and reserve driver Liam Lawson to secure one of the two seats for Racing Bulls next season.

Tsunoda has clearly outperformed Ricciardo all season, aside from a fourth place sprint finish in Miami which remains Ricciardo’s only points of the year.

Ricciardo is a seven-time F1 race winner, but has had consecutive rough years at McLaren and now RB.

Asked if he thinks Ricciardo’s career is overrated, Villeneuve said: “I think his image has kept him in F1 more than his actual results.”

Ricciardo and Laurent Mekies during practice for the F1 Grand Prix of Canada at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. Picture: Qian Jun/MB Media/Getty Images

Meanwhile rain in the opening practice session meant Doohan’s time behind the wheel for Alpine racing was reduced to just a couple of laps as the team conserved their intermediate tyres for Esteban Ocon.

Ocon was told he would not get a new contract in 2025, opening the door for Doohan to get his maiden F1 start next year if he can convince Alpine bosses he is the ready for a step up to the main game.

Doohan, the son of former motorcycle world champ Mick Doohan, is desperately trying to position himself for that seat but knows nothing is a given in the whacky world for F1.

“It’s difficult to say anything in F1 is certain,” Doohan said on Sky Sports commentary during FP2.

“My dream is to be on the grid, my dream is to be in Formula One.