“It’s time for people to wake up and stop loafing about. It’s lasted long
enough,” said Villeneuve, this week working as an expert summariser on
Sky Sports.
“We heard them. We listened. They should stop. It’s costing the city a
fortune. It makes no sense.
“I think these people grew up without ever hearing their parents ever
tell them ‘No’. So that’s what you see in the streets now. People spending
their time complaining.
“It’s becoming a little bit ridiculous. They spoke, we heard, and now
it’s time to go back to school.”
The comments from Villeneuve, a Quebec native and with the track in Montreal
named after his father Gilles, sparked a furious backlash.
Aside from a number turning to Twitter to voice their fury at Villeneuve, CBC
News reported the 41-year-old had received death threats via email.
With the main streets of downtown Montreal a hive of activity last night as F1
fans soaked up the atmosphere and enjoyed a variety of events, police were
again out in force.
It is understood, though, the main focal point for the protesters will be
Sunday’s race, with an apparent threat to block the subway system being
taken seriously.
The main access route to the circuit, situated on the Ile Notre Dame in the
middle of the St Lawrence Seaway, is the Metro.
On Thursday race organisers were forced to abandan a traditional event for
fans, who are allowed in for free and that normally attracts up to 50,000,
due to fear of disruption.