Never a man to hold back his opinion, Jacques Villeneuve says he isn't impressed with Stoffel Vandoorne's performance to date.

The 1997 world champion admits he is disappointed with what the McLaren driver has shown this year and  considers he has yet to prove he is good enough to thrive in F1.

"It's disappointing, because he has not once stood up to Alonso," Villeneuve said.

"And unless he beats Alonso, you cannot call him great or even good enough.

"When I debuted in 1996, I started beating Damon Hill, an established name. I put the Williams on pole position in my first Grand Prix.

"You need to set the bar high in Formula 1," he said.

The Belgian has indeed lacked a good performance to put him on the map this year, although Honda's dismal reliability has also played its part in Vandoorne's lackluster start.

But former F1 driver and Sky Sports F1 pundit Martin Brundle belives it would be unfair to right the Belgian off just yet.

"The first six races were nothing to write home about," said the Brit.

"But you have to give him the benefit of the doubt, because at his age you do not suddenly forget how to win, as he did in all those other categories.

"And to criticise him now is not fair because he doesn't have a good car. I continue to believe in Stoffel, and I'm sure McLaren does too," Brundle added.

 

Want to win a trackday experience? All you have to do is subscribe to our FREE newsletter HERE

Gallery: All the pictures from Montreal

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter

 

Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.

Recent Posts

Williams explain power trick that could define F1 in 2026

Formula 1’s next generation of cars will not just look different – they will sound…

1 hour ago

Horner weighs in on explosive 2026 F1 engine controversy

Christian Horner has waded into Formula 1’s latest technical storm, addressing the growing controversy over…

2 hours ago

Newey: AI has been shaping F1 ‘for a long time’

Aston Martin’s chief architect and team principal Adrian Newey believes Formula 1’s latest buzzword is…

4 hours ago

Norris gets a pole-position welcome at old primary school

Fresh from pre-season testing and with a world title now stitched onto his racing overalls,…

5 hours ago

Two on the trot for Laffite and Ligier in Brazil

On this day in 1979, Jacques Laffite won the Brazilian Grand Prix at Interlagos as…

6 hours ago

Russell hungry for ‘head-to-head’ title clash with Verstappen

George Russell is not hiding his appetite for a showdown this season in F1. In…

7 hours ago