On May 8 th 1982, my hero was killed in Belgium at the circuit Zolder. It was Saturday, and I was at work. My Best friend heard on the radio that Gilles had been critically injured in a crash during Qualifying for the Belgian Grand Prix. and he came racing down to the store in which I was working at the time. He was almost in tears and he new that I would be devastated by the news! At the time Gilles was still alive. I waited by the radio for the rest of the day until about 3pm pst when I heard that Gilles Villeneuve had died from his injures received during qualifying!
I didn't know how to react! I didn't cry, I didn't speak! I didn't acknowledge the presents of the rest of the world around me! I drifted away to my car, and I just sat their peering into the gray skies! The one person on earth who I thought would never die was dead! Mortality set in.
I finished my shift at work. Those who I worked with at the time knew what Gilles Villeneuve meant to me. His photos darned our place of business! They tried to offered words to me but I shrug them off. I needed to deal with this alone by myself Because no one could feel my lose except me.
I went home and just simply laid in my bed all night starring at my room that completely celebrated the racing of Gilles Villeneuve! I pondered my entire devotion to not only Gilles that night but to Formula One! For me, Gilles had become Formula One! Formula One was Gilles! Could I continued to love the sport that had taken my hero?
I went to work on Sunday! Most thought I wouldn't show up, but my responsibilities had to come first. I check my watch! It was after 9am on the west coast! And, I thought the Belgian Grand Prix would be finished! It was time to check the radio to see who had won! But, for the first time since I started to follow Formula One, I pondered why bother! Did I really care who had won! Gilles was no longer there! But, I did. John Watson won!
I then realized that Gilles was a part of Formula One, a very large part! Formula One continued on after his death. As it had with the deaths of Jim Clark, Ronnie Peterson, Jochen Rindt, and the many other great divers who lost their lives in pursuit of their passion. Gilles had died pursuing his passion for racing. He had fulfilled his dream of driving and winning in Formula One.
I continued to follow F-1 throughout 1982! I was again sadden by the death of Riccardo Paletti in Canada! At the newly renamed Circuit Gilles Villeneuve! I again was sadden by the accident suffered by Gilles team mate Didier Pironi at Hockenhiem! To me, if Pironi had some how won the championship in 1982, it would have been Gilles championship! I again pondered my devotion to F1. And on Sunday after the German Grand Prix, I questioned weather or not I wanted to know who had won! But again, I tuned in to the radio to find out! I collapsed on the floor when I heard Patrick Tambay announced as the winner! No#27 had won! Saint Patrick as I now call Patrick Tambay, rekindled my spirit! I felt Gilles presents in my life and I knew that I could continued on!
I have since learned so much more about the person Gilles Villeneuve. I know now he was never immortal, no one is! I have since learned he was flawed, all of us are. I have found that he was just like all of us! But, what he possessed was a burring passion to which very few have ever had! That passion will never died in me! I thank Gilles for teaching me how to be passionate about something you love! I thank him for the memories of watching him demonstrate that passion with his race car! But his honor in dealing with his team mate Jody Scheckter, I respect the most! Gilles was above all, a man of his word! A throw back to chivalry! Gilles thought he could trust someone who had given their word as well! It was a cruel fade that that trust came back at him at San Marino in 1982 with his new team mate Didier Pironi!
Lastly, I will never forget the moments I got to spend with Gilles. He truly was a good person! He loved his fans, and he was one of the nicest persons I have ever meet! I will never forget Gilles Villeneuve! He is still my hero today. Evermore so now!
Go to Page 6, Reflections of Gilles!
The begriming of the 1982 season looked good for Gilles Villeneuve & Ferrari! The Ferrari Chassis and Turbo engine had perform well in testing! But, the 1st race in South Africa was in turmoil! The drivers launched a strike due to regulations changing the superlicence structure, and safety issues! These issues were semi settled but the over all issues remained to put a black eye on the season.
In the race, Gilles ran well until a turbo failure took the Ferrari out early! Still, the overall speed of the new car looked good!
The Ferrari looked good in the 2nd Grand Prix in Brazil! At the start, Gilles took the lead and kept it until halfway through the race. Nelson Piquet was overtaking Gilles and waited to the last possible moment to out brake the Canadian, Gilles waited even longer, and the result was a quick off!
Still the Ferrari looked fast again! The chassis was a dramatic improvement over the 1981 car, and the turbo power was the best! Wins were coming!
After the Grand Prix of Argentina was canceled due to the Falklands Island Crisis, Long Beach was the next race. The Ferrari ran well, but the lag from the turbo engine, took away the power advantage from the Renault's, and Ferrari's! The Ferrari team thought they had found a loop hole in the rules in regards to the Length of the rear wing. Ferrari mount two separate wings overlapping each each. This gave them some extra downforce needed on the twisty street circuit. It seamed to work as Gilles ran the rear wing & Pironi didn't! Gilles was faster!
In the race, Gilles had a great battle with the Williams of Keke Rosberg. Gilles had the power on straights, Keke could torq his way passed in the slow chicane!
Gilles eventually finished 3rd! A great race for the Ferrari Turbo!
But, the rear wing was later declared illegal! And Gilles lost his points!
This was the last time I saw Gilles!
The Grand Prix of San Marino marked by the absences of the of most of the FOCA teams! The only Foca Team to take part was Tyrrell. This meant that only 14 cars started the race. The Renault's and the Ferrari's were clearly the fastest cars in the field, and that was the battle until the Renault of Rene Arnoux dropped out! That left the Gilles and his team mate Didier Pironi running 1-2 in front of the tofosi!
The race wasn't their's yet however! Both cars were marginal on fuel ,and Imola being one of the most fuelist circuit on the calendar it was a major concern. The Ferrari's received the hold position and slow down pit boards! This meant the team mates were not to race. They were to hold station! Gilles was in front of Didier, and that's how it was to finished! If it had been the other way around, Gilles would have to stay behind Didier. This is the agreement both drivers knew going in! For Gilles, this was the situation for him in 1979 with Jody Scheckter at Monaco, and at Monza where if Gilles would have passed Jody, Gilles would have kept his championship hopes alive, but Gilles obeyed the team orders, and Jody won the race & the championship!
Now it was Gilles turn! But on lap 46 Pironi passed Gilles. Gilles repassed Pironi on lap 49! Both drivers were still getting the same pit boards! When Gilles was in front, he was trying to slow down the pace, but Pironi was driving the car into the ground trying to get by Gilles! It would have been a disaster if both cars ran out of fuel! But Pironi finally stayed behind Gilles until the last lap near the last corner, when Pironi passed Gilles and pulled away! Gilles was completely furious. Evermore so when the team backed Pironi as the winner! It was the end of the two drivers relationship! And Gilles relationship with Ferrari! Gilles then decided to leave Ferrari in 1983! McLaren was most likely his destination!
This photograph was the last photo known to be taken of Gilles before his accident at Zolder, Belgium.
It was Qualifying and Gilles was only 1/10th behind Pironi! He vowed to never let the Frenchman get ahead of him again after the incident at San Marino! Gilles was on his last set of qualifying tyres and he was hell bend on his flying lap! Gilles came upon the March of Jochen Mass. The German driver was on his way back to the pits! Mass saw Villeneuve in his mirrors and move to the right, but Gilles was traveling much faster than Mass had notice, and Gilles had already committed to the right! The result was the most horrific of crashes! It was ironically very similar to the crash Gilles had with Ronnie Peterson in 1977 at Fuji! But, Gilles walked away for that one.
The Canadian Formula One driver was killed instantly! The G-forces during the accident were unsurvivable. It was a tragic lost for his family,friends, the F-1 world, and Canada!
Gilles was completely devastated by Pironi's and Ferrari's Betrayal at San Marino!
