Jacques Villeneuve has lambasted McLaren over their team orders philosophy, suggesting that ‘it doesn’t sound like they want to win’.
McLaren have confirmed they will prioritise Lando Norris over Oscar Piastri from now on despite previously sticking to their ‘papaya rules’ of fair racing.
Villeneuve told Sky Sports: “I guess it starts with ‘papaya’ – that doesn’t sound very tough, does it?
“I don’t want to be demeaning, I am trying to find the right words, but I find it a little bit pathetic. This is F1, it’s the pinnacle.
“If I was a McLaren fan, I’d be upset. Do they really want to win? Do they care? It doesn’t sound like they want to win. It’s beautiful but that’s not F1.
“You are here to win, that’s all that matters. Lando got the better of Piastri for the first half of the season, he’s the one with a chance to win. You play it by that rule.
“I really fail to understand this concept of ‘this is how we work, we are happier to finish second than to win’. It is weird.”