Jacques Villeneuve, the 1997 Formula 1 World Champion, has cast a critical eye on Daniel Ricciardo, suggesting that the Australian’s presence in the sport is more a testament to his marketability than his racing prowess.
Ricciardo, known for his ubiquitous grin and upbeat demeanor, has found refuge at RB after his sacking from McLaren in 2022, a move that Villeneuve views as less about track performance and more about the driver’s appeal off it.
“Ricciardo is a pure product of image and modern social media,” Villeneuve shared with Betideas, challenging the basis of Ricciardo’s sustained career in Formula 1.
“You can’t base his long career on results. You just can’t. They don’t stack up,” the Canadian elaborated, pointing to Ricciardo’s modest win tally against his extensive experience in the sport.
“It’s amazing. He can thank Netflix and all that kind of stuff. His smile, his attitude in the paddock in front of the camera. Ultimately, even against (Yuki) Tsunoda he doesn’t do brilliantly.
“But he brings value to F1 and that’s why he is there. There are many drivers who are as quick as him but don’t have his image,” Villeneuve added, acknowledging the commercial allure Ricciardo brings to Formula 1. “So, you might as well take the one with the image.”
