Jacques Villeneuve remains critical of fellow countryman and Formula 1 rookie Lance Stroll, slamming his post-Canadian Grand Prix test in Austin.
On Sunday in Baku, Stroll missed out on beating Max Verstappen to become the youngest podium scorer in history by just 11 days as he claimed third place, just missing second by a tenth of a second as Valtteri Bottas flew past over the line. That followed his first points finish two weeks prior, at his home race in Montreal, becoming the first Canadian since the 1997 world champion to achieve both feats.
Certainly, it has quietened some of the doubters, who have questioned the 18-year-old’s ability since joining the British team at the start of the year, however, at a time when in-season testing with the current cars is limited, what hasn’t sat well with Villeneuve is how Stroll was able to conduct a private test at the Circuit of the Americas in a 2014 Williams.
“He did well [in Baku], but also he’s the only driver who tests between races,” the former driver for the Grove-based team told Motorsport.com. “That’s a little bit tough to swallow. Money has to have a limit, and that’s pushing it.
“But apart from that, it was the first race where he was not hanging on for dear life behind the steering wheel. He was actually relaxed behind the steering wheel, he was driving normal.
“Good, why would I criticise negatively that? But that doesn’t mean the beginning of the season was good.”
Lance himself brushed off Villeneuve’s earlier comments claiming he was “always negative”, but the 46-year-old stood by his most of his most stinging claims.
“I always said until Montreal that it was pathetic, and it was,” he said of Stroll’s rookie year.
“But I always said he won in everything he did with work and the same thing would probably happen here, as long as they look at reality in the face.
“You have to admit when you are not good enough. That’s all. So I don’t know why people are getting so upset. You can’t go out and say ‘he’s amazing’ when he’s a second off the pace of Massa.”
Despite that, Villeneuve has praised last year’s European F3 champion’s ability to maximise opportunities in two tricky races.
“The points in Montreal helped him. He wasn’t quick in Montreal, but everybody broke down, he kept his nose clean, he got points, and that took a weight off his shoulders,” he said.
“You could see it today. When everybody was banging into each other, he wasn’t, and his teammate broke down as well.
“Yes, he was lucky, but he was also quick, he didn’t do any stupid things, and he got on the podium. Nothing wrong with that.”