Former F1 world champion Jacques Villeneuve has unleashed a scathing assessment of Daniel Ricciardo, criticising the Perth product as a “pure product of image and modern social media”.

Ricciardo is eyeing an improved year as he gets set for Thursday’s opening practice session, with a full campaign for Visa Cash App RB looming after his return to action midway through last season.

But Villeneuve - who won the F1 crown with Williams in 1997, launched a damning assessment of Ricciardo, saying his public perception was playing a significant role in his place on the grid.

“Ricciardo is a pure product of image and modern social media,” Villeneuve told BetIdeas.

“You can’t base his long career on results. You just can’t. They don’t stack up.

“It is amazing. He can thank Netflix and all that kind of stuff.

“His smile, his attitude in the paddock in front of the camera.

“Ultimately even against (teammate Yuki) Tsunoda he doesn’t do brilliantly. But he brings value to F1 and that’s why he is there.

“There are many drivers who are as quick as him but don’t have his image. So, you might as well take the one with the image.”

The all-conquering Max Verstappen is an almost unbackable $1.10 favourite to claim his fourth consecutive drivers championship, with Ricciardo on the 10th line of betting as a $501 outsider.

Ricciardo is in the frame to return to Red Bull to join Verstappen next year, with current Red Bull No.2 Sergio Perez set to come out of contract at the end of the year.

“Coming into a full pre-season now, I have a lot of self-confidence in myself so I think some good things can happen, Ricciardo said earlier this month.

“It was good to get back in the car, I missed it, and even at this point in my career as well, maybe people think I just can’t be bothered with these things, but I am enjoying everything.”