Snow and circuits
From a young age, Gilles Villeneuve drove snowmobiles and won the world championship title with them. Meanwhile, he discovered another passion: racing cars. The Canadian quickly made his mark in the formula classes, and first sponsors helped him rise through the ranks, a process that was cemented at the GRAND PRIX DE TROIS-RIVIÈRES. The event was attended by F1 stars such as James Hunt. Gilles won and the Briton took note. This gave Villeneuve the opportunity to showcase his talent on the big stage with McLaren at the 1977 BRITISH GRAND PRIX. He was fastest in the warm-up and, despite suffering from mechanical problems, finished 11th and was named Driver of the Day. This outstanding performance caught Ferrari’s attention, who signed Villeneuve for the final two races of the year.
Will the career be crowned?
Yet, his driving-to-the-limit and high-risk style was not always rewarded. In Japan, following a collision with Ronnie Peterson, his car ended up in the crowd. Two people were killed and ten were injured. Despite harsh criticism, Enzo Ferrari confirmed his place in the team. Further poor performances fuelled overall mistrust. However, initial improvements led to a new contract. Then, at the first GRAND PRIX in Québec, Villeneuve’s home region, he won and celebrated with beer on the podium – the only driver in history to have done so to date. 1979 saw a successful evolution, but he missed out on the championship to his team-mate Jody Scheckter. The 1980 and 1981 seasons were significantly hampered by the vehicle's performance, though this did not prevent him from producing duels for the ages.
Merci
Best known is his battle with René Arnoux in France, where the pair outbraked themselves, collided and remained on the track with masterful composure. Villeneuve’s victories in Monaco and Spain in 1981, with an inferior car, defined his skills. Unfortunately, these were cut short on 8 May 1982. During qualifying for the BELGIAN GRAND PRIX, Gilles collided with Jochen Mass, who was driving slowly. The Canadian crashed into the March and the Ferrari was launched into the air. Then, due to the kinetic energy generated, Villeneuve was thrown from his car when smashing back on the track, lost helmet and shoes and suffered severe injuries. He landed against the fence, did not show any sign of life and succumbed to his spinal and head lesions later that day. The mourning motorsports world honored him as the driver with most talent, which was nearly matched by his humanity. He won the hearts of the Tifosi, and that is where he lives on today. Finally, his son Jacques fulfilled the dream of winning the championship in 1997 with Williams, and the Circuit de Montréal was named after Gilles. L'Aviatore, as he was nicknamed due to his airborne crashes, remains the driver who epitomises the passion of FORMULA 1.
