Gilles Villeneuve
On May 8th 1982, The World lost one of the greatest drivers to have ever turned a wheel in competition. Gilles Villeneuve was about winning every corner & every lap! Gilles loved winning , but more important, Gilles loved driving the wheels off his racecar! Gilles never drove a Formula One car worthy of his talents! Had Gilles ever driven for Williams or Brabham or McLaren, he most certainly would have won the Championship! In 1979, Gilles finished 2nd in the World Drivers Championship behind his teammate Jody Scheckter! Gilles had the opportunity to overtake Jody at Monza to keep his Championship hopes alive, but he didn't! Gilles gave Jody his word that he would obey team orders and not pass his South African teammate! In other words, Gilles Villeneuve was more than a great racecar driver, he was a man of honor and a great credit to his generation! We have missed him dearly
and we've look for someone to come forth to take his place! But after almost 20 years, no one has, and it looks as if no one ever will!
Gilles in Formula Atlantic! Notice his opposite lock style!
Gilles won tow Formula Atlantic Championships in 1975, and 1976!
Gilles and his son Jacques! Jacques would follow in his fathers footsteps and achieve the World Championship in 1997!
Gilles regarded his family as very important! They traveled together in a motor home and stayed at the circuits!
Today, Jacques carries on the tradition of staying at the circuit in his own motorhome!
Gilles makes his debut in F-1 in 1977 at Silverstone with McLaren! His One and only appearance in F-1 not in a Ferrari!
Gilles impressed McLaren's James Hunt at the Formula Atlantic race at Trois-Rivieres in 1976. The Team gave Villeneuve at test and were impressed enough to offer Gilles a drive for the 1977 British Grand Prix! However, Ferrari was also impress by the French Canadian and quickly beat McLaren to the punch, and Signed Villeneuve to replace the departing Niki Lauda!
Gilles makes his Ferrari debut at the Canadian Grand Prix in Mosport in 1977!
Ferrari wanted to run 3 cars at Mosport. But, after Niki Lauda had already clinched the drivers championship at Monza, and Niki had already signed to drive for the Brabham/Alfa Romero team for 1977,Lauda decided to walk out on Ferrari at Mosport! The Austrian sited that he felt Ferrari could not field 3-cars safely! This left Carlos Reutemann and Ferrari new boy Gilles Villeneuve to carry the Ferrari colors into battle!
Click Here to Go To Page #2 1978, The first year in Formula One!
Gilles 2nd Grand Prix with Ferrari was a tragic one.
The photograph shows Gilles shortly after he ran over the back of Ronnie Peterson's 6-wheel Tyrrell. Gilles would land in the trye barrier and as a result 3 spectators were killed! The spectators were not supposed to be in that area!
However Gilles was still offered to second Ferrari along side Carlos Reutemann for 1978!
The Villeneuve Family!
Gilles, his wife Joann, and their two children Jacques and Melanie
The Villeneuve's travel together to each race and stayed in their own motor home!
Today, Jacques keeps this Villeneuve tradition alive!
