"Do they really want to win? Do they care?" A typical no-holds-barred assessment here.
Jacques Villeneuve has branded McLaren "pathetic" and questioned whether the team "really want to win" this year's F1 drivers' title given its team orders stance with Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.
Following the 'papaya rules' furore that kicked off during and after the recent Italian Grand Prix, McLaren team principal Andrea Stella conducted a meeting with both drivers to clarify the situation moving forward.
Piastri is to support Norris in his bid to close the 62-point gap on Red Bull's Max Verstappen at the top of the drivers' standings, although will not be handing over any potential victories to Norris should the opportunity arise.
Suggested to Villeneuve on Sky Sports F1 that McLaren should be adopting a 'whatever it takes to win' philosophy, the 1997 F1 champion typically pulled no punches.
"I guess it starts with papaya - that doesn't sound very tough, does it?" said Villeneuve with a smile, before adding: "I don't want to be demeaning, I'm trying to find the right words."
Encouraged by fellow pundit and former F1 driver Karun Chandhok to do so, he added: "I found 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 very utopia. It's beautiful, but you are here to win. It'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 by that rule. I really fail to understand this concept of, 'This is how we work. It's so beautiful. We're much happier to finish second than to win. It's weird."
