Jacques Villeneuve has this week returned to Williams an ambassador for the 2025 season. Villeneuve joins 2009 world champion Jenson Button and endurance racer Jamie Chadwick in the role.
Villeneuve is a Williams legend, having won the 1997 title in their colours. But he’s also been a controversial figure in the F1 paddock given his outspoken nature.
Only 13 Canadian drivers have started a Grand Prix, and Villeneuve is the most successful on that list. He won 11 races – five more than his father Gilles, who lost his life at the 1982 Belgian GP.
Lance Stroll recently overtook the 53-year-old at the top of the country’s all-time appearances list. He’s now featured in 166 races, three more than Villeneuve.
Stroll has finished on the podium three times during his career, though not since the 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix. He also has one pole position and 292 points to his name.
But despite the scarcity of Canadian talent in F1, Villeneuve hasn’t sought to promote Stroll. Instead, he’s been fiercely critical at times.
Jacques Villeneuve became ‘persona non grata’ at Williams after Lance Stroll tirade
Stroll joined the F1 grid at the start of the 2017 season, with the backing of billionaire father Lawrence Stroll helping him land a spot at Williams. He was racing alongside a veteran race-winner in Felipe Massa.
Ahead of his home race in Canada, the teenager was still waiting for his first points finish. He recorded DNFs in his first three starts, a run that included collisions with Sergio Perez and Carlos Sainz.
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He saw the chequered flag in his next three, but couldn’t crack the top 10. With teammate Massa ninth in the standings on 20 points, Villeneuve called Stroll one of the worst rookies of all time.
According to Auto Motor und Sport, Williams were dependent on the support of his father, so they had no choice but to act. They banned their former world champion from the premises, classifying him as ‘persona non grata’.
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Stroll has faced criticism throughout his F1 career. There are those who feel he hasn’t earned his place on the merit.
One recent report claimed that even Aston Martin’s new managing technical partner Adrian Newey thinks Stroll isn’t ‘good enough’. Still, Villeneuve’s comments about the second-youngest driver in the sport’s history, as he was in 2017, seem particularly harsh.
Broadcasters will love his attitude, but he also risks making enemies in the paddock. Indeed, Alex Albon may have a grudge against Villeneuve over remarks made in 2020.
Damon Hill’s former teammate described him as the worst number two driver in Red Bull history as he struggled next to Max Verstappen. As a result, it may be somewhat awkward if the two have to make a joint appearance this year.
