Jacques Villeneuve does not regret his comments about Daniel Ricciardo

Jacques Villeneuve insists that he takes no satisfaction in seeing Daniel Ricciardo lose his spot on the Formula 1 grid.

It all started at the Canadian Grand Prix when Jacques Villeneuve, working as a consultant for Sky Sports F1, had severely criticized the Australian by asking: “Why is he still in F1?” Daniel Ricciardo, who had qualified fifth in Montreal, responded to the 1997 champion by saying: “Eat s***.” But this answer only encouraged Jacques Villeneuve to retaliate, calling the former Red Bull driver “immature” and “unprofessional.”

In July, Daniel Ricciardo told Mirror Sport he was disappointed that a former champion would so publicly criticize another F1 driver. But Jacques Villeneuve, now 53, regrets nothing. However, he states that he never wanted things to become personal between him and Daniel Ricciardo, who was dismissed from Red Bull’s sister team, AlphaTauri, in September.

« I have never sought to be right, » he explained to Mirror Sport. « It sparked a lot of reactions, both negative and positive. It led many people to discuss the subject openly. It’s not about destroying someone, but one must face reality. »

Jacques Villeneuve asserts his positions

« I think people said to themselves, ‘Okay, Jacques has a valid point, let’s discuss it in depth,’ and that’s what happened. That’s what satisfies me. My feelings wouldn’t have been different if Daniel Ricciardo had stayed at Red Bull. I’m not saying, ‘Oh, I’m glad he left F1.’ I’m simply happy to have highlighted the reality », he explains.

« Daniel always has an excellent image and a great career; it has not caused him any harm. It was just a discussion about the racing industry that got a little sidetracked from what is important. It was a way of expressing what everyone thought. It’s not a matter for me to feel justified by his departure from F1 or not. »

« When conducting analyses as a consultant, we simply try to talk about what is relevant. That doesn’t mean we are always right, and it’s hard to stay neutral, even when trying. We all have feelings that come out. The goal is to provide food for thought and to spark discussions. That’s what I am satisfied with. »

Translate: Daniel Ricciardo does not have a spot on the 2025 grid, but his popularity with fans, especially in the United States, has strongly linked him to the new team Cadillac, which is set to join F1 the following year. However, it is understood that the 34-year-old driver is currently not interested in the idea of driving for this new team.