Jacques Villeneuve has responded sharply to Daniel Ricciardo's pointed comments last weekend in Montreal.
The former F1 world champion from 1997 hinted that Ricciardo's tenure with the Red Bull family - and in F1 - might be uncertain after 2024, attributing his sustained presence on the grid more to his "image" than his racing performance or speed.
Ricciardo harshly retorted, questioning if Villeneuve had "hit his head too many times" and crudely suggested Villeneuve "eat sh*t".
"He went a bit personal in his reaction," stated Villeneuve, as reported by the Finnish broadcaster MTV. "When you're criticised you need to have a thick skin but modern drivers are role models.
"When you're at the top, like all 20 of them here, you have to behave professionally," the 53-year-old commented further. "Young people and children listen when the drivers talk. So you can't get personal.
"I clearly got under his skin, and I got him out of his funk. But it's not enough," Villeneuve observed.
