Former F1 world champ says Daniel Ricciardo is only in the sport because people love him on social media: ‘He can thank Netflix for being on the grid’

Former F1 world champion Jacques Villeneuve doesn’t mince words when it comes to Australian cult hero Daniel Ricciardo.

In a savage takedown, the former face of Williams declared that the Perth-born driver has only been able to remain relevant in the sport due to his immense popularity, not his driving skills.

“Ricciardo is a pure product of image and modern social media,” he said. BetIdeas.com.

‘You can’t base your long career on results. You just can’t. They do not accumulate.

‘It’s amazing. You can thank Netflix (thanks to their Drive To Survive series) and all that sort of stuff.

“His smile, his attitude in front of the camera… he (also) brings value to F1 and that’s why he’s there.”

The fiery Canadian did not finish and declared: ‘There are many drivers who are as fast as him (Ricciardo) but they do not have his image. So you might as well take the one with the picture on it.

It is unknown why Villeneuve, who won 11 grands prix during a brilliant career, has Ricciardo in his sights.

The Australian has also not responded publicly to the scathing criticism.

This weekend, the 34-year-old has a chance to silence the skeptics (and 1997 world champion Villeneuve) when he competes in the Bahrain Grand Prix.

Driving for the renowned Visa Cash App RB team, the Australian will once again partner Japan’s Yuki Tsunoda and is confident the pairing will hold strong after encouraging results in pre-season testing.

“(The preparation) has been good… I think some things have improved, which is always good,” Ricciardo said.

“It’s also natural that after a few months of development… I feel comfortable.”