Formula 1 godfather Martin Brundle has waded into the controversy between Daniel Ricciardo and former champion Jacques Villeneuve.
Reflecting on Ricciardo’s career, Brundle shared his respect for the Australian driver, reminding the world that he has won eight races in his career and can still turn it on when the conditions suit.
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The biggest factor of Ricciardo’s “demise” is the fact he’s been given a second rate car that struggles to compete with even the midfield cars, let alone the sport’s premier manufacturers.
But Villeneuve swiped the Aussie’s resume aside last weekend when he claimed he simply hadn’t done enough in recent years to deserve his seat.
Ricciardo didn’t mince words after pulling together a monster lap to claim 5th in qualifying.
“I heard he’s been talking s**t. But he always does,” Ricciardo said in response to Villeneuve’s comments.
“I think he’s hit his head a few too many times. So I don’t know if he plays ice hockey or something.”
Brundle took the diplomatic approach in the Villeneuve-Ricciardo war, saying he has respect “for all F1 drivers”.
“I have fundamental respect for all F1 drivers, not least for Daniel … because I know how hard it is to drive such fearsome cars under that spotlight. Daniel has won eight GPs including an outstanding Monaco victory, scored 32 podiums, and has regularly shown world-class talent,” he said in a column for Sky Sports.
However, Brundle also shone a revealing light on Ricciardo’s ultimately damaging decision to leave Red Bull in 2018.
“I wish he’d not left Red Bull at the end of 2018. That was an emotional and flawed decision, he should have faced up to Max in the best car, then he’d have necessarily raised his game even further. Ricciardo never seemed to be quite the same driver again,” he said.
“He clearly still does have speed and race craft, as we witnessed also in the Miami Sprint, but something in his psyche or approach is holding that back and it’s costing him opportunity and longevity.”
Ricciardo’s exit from Red Bull has been a hot topic amongst fans for almost six years. Some say he fell victim to the team’s favouritism of Verstappen, who had shown promise at becoming the youngest ever world champion at the time.
Others say it was only natural he moved on from a team he had spent so much time at, in pursuit of greener pastures by putting his chips in a team that promised big things for the near future.
But we all know how that went.
Bundle on ‘wild’ Canada showdown
In a race marked by fluctuating conditions, with pop-up showers and sudden bursts of sunshine, the drivers navigated a treacherous circuit that provided a lot of overtaking opportunity.
While viewers were briefly lulled into the thought of a massive upset victory, Max Verstappen proved again why he’s the most dangerous on the grid and sailed home with his 60th career Grand Prix victory.
“That was a wild Canadian Grand Prix,” Brundle said.
“Three different race leaders dodging pop-up showers and stormy rain, quickly followed by bright sunshine, whilst navigating their way between the walls and slippery track furniture, and cars pointing in the wrong direction from time to time.”
The qualifying session was incredibly close, with the top seven drivers on the grid separated by just over a quarter of a second.
“Six of those drivers felt they should have been on pole position, including Fernando Alonso in sixth and a confused Lewis Hamilton in seventh. All felt that an error-free lap would have done the job.”
George Russell delivered an impressive lap on used tyres, matching Max Verstappen’s time to three decimal places and securing a place on the front row.
Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri showcased McLaren’s strength, securing the second row, followed by Ricciardo in fifth. Brundle praised Ricciardo’s performance.
Haas drivers Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg gave fans something to scream about after their bold move as the only team to start with extreme wet tyres paid dividends.
Magnussen, who has faced his fair share of controversy this season, blasted from 14th to 4th on the grid with a spectacular drive in near impossible conditions.
“Haas rolled the dice, and why not, as Kevin made it as far as fourth place,” Brundle noted.
As the race progressed, McLaren demonstrated impressive pace on intermediate tyres, with Lando Norris leading and pulling away. However, a safety car on lap 24, triggered by Logan Sargeant’s crash, disrupted McLaren’s strategy.
“They elected to go around and sadly he was scooped by the safety car, doing its job correctly, and this cost valuable time and track position. And possibly victory,” Brundle said.
“There was some aggressive defending and overtaking going on, and, whilst not an all-time classic, this was a gruelling and memorable race.”
In sum, Brundle’s reflections on Ricciardo’s career and the unpredictable nature of the Canadian Grand Prix provide a deep dive into the highs and lows of Formula 1, illustrating the relentless pursuit of excellence and the fine margins that define success in the sport.
Source Agencies
