Villeneuve blasts Hamilton's stupid comment: 'Why would he say that?'

Last month, the Briton admitted he was not particularly familiar with Gilles Villeneuve’s career, but described the Canadian as one of the sport’s great drivers, praising his ability to control a car on the limit. Hamilton also stated that, in his view, Gilles was a significantly better driver than his son Jacques.

It was that final remark, albeit delivered with a smile, that prompted a response from the 1997 world champion. Speaking on Sky F1 alongside Nico Rosberg, Villeneuve labelled Hamilton’s comment as stupid and admitted he was surprised by it, insisting he could not recall ever criticising the Briton and suggesting the remark may have stemmed from the pair’s time together at Mercedes.

Despite their brief verbal disagreement, Villeneuve offered a strong defence of Hamilton, rejecting the idea that the seven-time world champion should have considered retirement during his difficult start to life at Ferrari. The Canadian argued that many fans and commentators focus too heavily on preserving a driver's legacy, wanting to remember champions only at their peak rather than accepting the natural ups and downs that come with a long career.

Villeneuve pointed out that Hamilton was never struggling at the very back of the grid and remained fully committed to the challenge of helping rebuild one of Formula 1's biggest teams. He also highlighted the sacrifices required to remain competitive at the highest level, praising Hamilton for refusing to give up despite the setbacks and for taking decisive action when things were not working as intended.

According to the 1997 world champion, Hamilton's decision to make changes around him and continue pushing for solutions ultimately paid off, proving that talent does not simply disappear overnight. Villeneuve concluded that success at the top level is determined by a driver's willingness to keep learning, adapting and questioning themselves, qualities he believes Hamilton has continued to demonstrate throughout his Ferrari journey.