MONTREAL (AP) 鈥� Daniel Ricciardo let Jacques Villeneuve hear it Saturday at the Canadian Grand Prix, a day after the former Canadian driver suggested he should no longer be in Formula 1.
Ricciardo made a statement on the track by qualifying fifth for Red Bull junior team RB, then took aim at Villeneuve.
鈥淚 still don鈥檛 know what he said, but I heard he鈥檚 been talking ..., but he always does,鈥� Ricciardo said. 鈥淚 think he鈥檚 hit his head a few too many times, I don鈥檛 know if he plays ice hockey or something.鈥�
Villeneuve, the 1997 F1 champion and son of racing great Gilles Villeneuve, ranted about Ricciardo in a Sky Sports television broadcast.
鈥淲hy is he still in F1?鈥� Villeneuve said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e hearing the same thing now for the last four, five years 鈥� we have to make it better for him, poor him. It鈥檚 been five years of that. Sorry, no, you鈥檙e in F1.
鈥淢aybe you make that effort for Lewis Hamilton, who鈥檚 won multiple championships. You don鈥檛 make that effort for a driver that can鈥檛 cut it. Can鈥檛 cut it? Go home, there鈥檚 someone else who can take your place.鈥�
Ricciardo won the last of his eight career F1 victories in 2021. The 34-year-old Australian raced to his first F1 victory 10 years ago in Montreal.
鈥淚鈥檝e, obviously, been highly motivated to do more than I have been this year,鈥� Ricciardo said. 鈥淚 know how good those results feel, and that鈥檚 why I do it, to feel those highs.
鈥淐oming into the week everything felt right. I was really happy to come back to this circuit and drive here because I love it. Today鈥檚 10 years to the day of my first win, and that day changed my life. So there鈥檚 just a lot of nice emotions coming into it.鈥�
While Ricciardo doesn't have a deal set for next season, RB said Saturday that fellow driver Yuki Tsunoda will remain with the team.
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