Jacques Villeneuve has continued to weigh in on Daniel Ricciardo's performance level after the RB driver made a mockery of his earlier criticism - qualifying fifth at the Canadian Grand Prix.
The Australian produced an impressive display on Saturday and will line-up on the third row for Sunday's race in Montreal. Ricciardo is out to prove he is still one of Formula 1's top drivers having previously won races at McLaren and Red Bull.
He's hoping to eventually land himself a seat in a car that can win races and, after an inconsistent year that has seen him beaten by his team-mate, Ricciardo has shown that he can outperform his package and mix it with the other big names in the sport.
Villeneuve, who had questioned why Ricciardo was still in F1 just hours before his qualifying effort, claimed that he had delivered, but needed to do it for weeks in a row to quash the doubters.
The ex-world champion said: "He needs the push, the pressure, and it paid off. It’s working well, the car suits him this weekend and when you have a car that suits you, you drive at your best. That was one good qualifying. If he can carry on this weekend like this then do four, five, six more races like that, then he’ll be fine. But like he said, he’s been lacking consistency this year."
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This year the Aussie is yet to finish higher than 12th, although he did produce an impressive display in the Miami sprint to come home in fourth. Villeneuve commented on how there has constantly been excuses for Ricciardo.
He said: "We've been hearing the same thing now for the last four or five years. 'We have to make the car better, poor him'. Sorry, it's been five years of that. No, you are in F1. Maybe you make that effort for Lewis Hamilton who has won multiple championships. You don't make that effort for a driver that can't cut it."
The Australian stuck his car on the third row in qualifyingVilleneuve then added, after being quizzed on whether he thought Ricciardo was overrated: "I think his image has kept him in F1 more than his actual results."
Ricciardo learned how the Canadian's earlier comments just after his qualifying performance and, when quizzed on how he felt, gave a x-rated response.
He told Sky Sports F1 : "I've just been told. I don't listen or read but yeah, there's definitely some people out there who… yeah, whatever, I won't give them the time of day - Top five, I've been quick all weekend. We're less than two tenths from pole, so eat s***"
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