Daniel Ricciardo has despatched a message to Jacques Villeneuve after the Method 1 world champion questioned why the Australian remains to be racing in Method 1.
Ricciardo secured a formidable fifth place begin in qualifying on Saturday afternoon in Montreal – a a lot wanted consequence after the criticism from Villeneuve and a tough begin to 2024 when it comes to consistency. The eight time race winner will begin forward of his teammate for the primary time because the Chinese language Grand Prix, and can be hoping to transform this distinctive consequence into factors on race day on the 2024 Canadian Grand Prix.
Villeneuve went on a reside tv rant throughout Sky Sports activities F1’s protection, asking why Ricciardo was nonetheless within the sport and questioning his achievements since leaving Oracle Purple Bull Racing in 2018.
“Why’s he nonetheless in F1? Why?”
“We’re listening to the identical factor now for the final 4 or 5 years. ‘We now have to make the automobile higher for him’. Sorry, it’s been 5 years of that. No, you might be in F1. Perhaps you make that effort for Lewis Hamilton whose received a number of championships. You don’t make that effort for a driver who can’t minimize it.
“If you happen to can’t minimize it, go residence, there’s another person to take your house. That’s the way it’s all the time been in racing, it’s the head of the game. There’s no motive to maintain going and to maintain discovering excuses, and also you all discuss that first season or first two seasons, he was beating a Vettel that was burnt out, that was making an attempt to invent issues with the automobile to go win and simply making a large number of his weekends.
“Then he was beating for half a season Verstappen when Verstappen was 18 years previous, simply beginning, that was it, he stopped beating anybody after that.”
Though he wasn’t conscious of the feedback earlier than qualifying, Ricciardo despatched a daring message to Villeneuve when he spoke to the media after the race.
“I heard he’s been speaking. I received’t give him the time of day however these folks can suck it. I wish to say extra however we’ll depart him behind.”
Shifting onto his efficiency in qualifying Ricciardo stated: “From after we put it down yesterday, I simply had confidence in it, the automobile felt good, I used to be capable of drive somewhat bit extra aggressively so I simply felt like I used to be getting on high of it. I felt just like the automobile was good.
“We’re all the time going to be making an attempt to good the automobile however I even have to have a look at myself and be sure that I’m in a very good place to have the ability to do outcomes like this. It’s clearly been a bit tougher for me to seek out that candy spot this 12 months and I look again at 10 years in the past [when he won at this venue], I feel it was type of easy.
“After Monaco, I attempted to simply perceive, I used to be all the time trying on the on monitor stuff and I can brake later right here or do that and that however it was like ‘okay, there are possibly another issues which can be affecting my efficiency. Am I coming right into a race weekend not feeling energised or not feeling this or that?’
“I feel I simply had a very good little little bit of self remedy after Monaco and simply sat again and had a have a look at possibly the issues I’m doing away from the monitor or possibly giving an excessive amount of of my time to folks and by the point I get to race day, I’m somewhat bit extra flat.“
