The champion also discredited Ricciardo’s entire career, insisting he beat Sebastian Vettel at Red Bull because the German driver was ‘burnt out’, and remained in F1 because of his ‘image’.
Ricciardo is not the only driver to come under fire from critics, with Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll incurring criticism across the majority of his career thus far.
Stroll has also been criticised for the disparity between his performances and those of his Aston Martin team-mate Fernando Alonso.
However, the Canadian received support from an unlikely source in the build up to his home grand prix, with Pirelli dedicating a whole article to why he deserves a seat in F1.
In a social media post sharing the article, Pirelli inaccurately reported that Stroll had three race victories in order to bolster their cause.
“Lance Stroll is one of the least-regarded local hero drivers in #F1, yet with his three victories and 151 Grand Prix races he has proven that he deserves his place in @F1,” the tyre manufacturer wrote.
Lance Stroll is one of the least-regarded local hero drivers in #F1, yet with his three victories and 151 Grand Prix races he has proven that he deserves his place in @F1 . https://t.co/VeQL2TdT82