“Why’s he still in F1?” Ex-F1 driver brutally rips into Daniel Ricciardo for lackluster performances in last ‘4-5 years’

Daniel Ricciardo has been outperformed by his teammate Yuki Tsunoda this season.

“Why’s he still in F1?” Ex-F1 driver brutally rips into Daniel Ricciardo for lackluster performances in last ‘4-5 years’

Daniel Ricciardo (via IMAGO)

Former F1 driver/world champion, Jacques Villeneuve has bashed Visa Cash App RB racer, Daniel Ricciardo for his poor performances. Ricciardo has been massively struggling for the last few years in F1.

After a torrid two-year spell, Daniel Ricciardo left McLaren after the end of the 2022 season, which saw him take the position of reserve driver for Red Bull. Moreover, he has also not had many eye-catching performances since taking on the mantle of driving for RB (AlphaTauri).

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Jacques Villeneuve has hence been critical of the Australian driver. He has said that the 34-year-old has been relying on the work of teams to give him a better car for far too long, but has actually, not been up to expected standards himself. Villeneuve further asserted that Ricciardo has been on the grid only for his image rather than his performances in place of many other deserving drivers.

Why's he still in F1? Why? 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.
Jacques Villeneuve said in a conversation with SkySports

The 53-year-old went on to say that it is time for Daniel Ricciardo to give up his seat for more capable and deserving drivers in F1. The Honey Badger now faces a big challenge to proving his worth to the grid in the upcoming races in hopes of keeping his seat for the coming year.

Liam Lawson expresses desire to become a permanent driver on the grid

RB reserve driver, Liam Lawson has expressed his desire to attain a permanent seat in F1 for the coming season after a temporary stint last year. Lawson filled in for Ricciardo for five races when the latter suffered a wrist injury during the 2023 Dutch Grand Prix.

Liam Lawson
Liam Lawson (via IMAGO)
I am constantly thinking about the future. I don’t want to race just because someone is injured; I want to race because a team has placed their trust in me with a full-time seat.
Liam Lawson said in an interview with Autogear

Liam Lawson impressed many team principals and drivers across the grid with his performances in 2023. Moreover, Lawson has ignited the interest of many teams across the grid in signing him for the 2025 season of the sport.

The 22-year-old driver has vested his faith in the Red Bull family in offering him a seat but has also said that if the Austrian giants are unable to do so, he will be open to exploring other options. Liam Lawson now awaits a decision from Red Bull as he hopes to make a full-time return to the grid for next year.

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