Gilles Villeneuve
Canadian racing driver, Ferrari legend, six Grand Prix wins across five seasons.
Joseph Gilles Henri Villeneuve (18 January 1950 – 8 May 1982) was a Canadian racing driver, who competed in Formula One. Villeneuve was runner-up in the Formula One World Drivers' Championship in 1979 with Ferrari, and won six Grands Prix across five seasons.
Quick Facts
- Nationality
- Canadian
- Primary team
- Scuderia Ferrari
- Grand prix wins
- 6
- Famous circuit
- Monaco, Zolder
Lore & Background
Villeneuve started his career in snowmobile racing across Quebec. He won the regional Formula Ford championship in 1973, then two Canadian Formula Atlantic Championships in 1976 and 1977, and the American Championship in 1976. He made his Formula One debut with McLaren at the 1977 British Grand Prix. Enzo Ferrari signed him after being impressed. Villeneuve made an early debut for Ferrari after Niki Lauda's departure. He took his maiden podium in Austria and won his home Grand Prix in Canada. He won three races in 1979, finishing runner-up to teammate Jody Scheckter. He earned acclaim for his duel with René Arnoux. After a winless season in 1980, he took back-to-back wins at Monaco and Spain in 1981. During qualifying for the 1982 Belgian Grand Prix, Villeneuve died after a collision with Jochen Mass. He achieved six wins, two pole positions, eight fastest laps, and 13 podiums. The Circuit Île Notre-Dame was renamed Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. His son Jacques became the first Canadian World Drivers' Champion in 1997. Villeneuve is an inductee of the Canadian Motor Sports Hall of Fame and Canada's Sports Hall of Fame.
Reader's Guide
Villeneuve was born January 18, 1950, to Seville Villeneuve and Georgette Coupal in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec, and grew up in Berthierville. He married Joann Barthe in 1970 and had two children, Jacques and Mélanie. He often claimed to have been born in 1952 to avoid being considered too old. His younger brother Jacques also had a successful racing career. Villeneuve started competitive driving in local drag-racing events with a modified 1967 Ford Mustang. He entered the Jim Russell Racing School at Circuit Mont-Tremblant. He won seven of ten races in Quebec regional Formula Ford. He progressed to Formula Atlantic, winning his first Atlantic race in 1975 at Gimli Motorsport Park in heavy rain. In 1976, with Ecurie Canada and engineer Ray Wardell, he dominated the season. Money was an issue; he earned income from snowmobile racing, winning the World Championship Snowmobile Derby in 1974. His second Formula Atlantic season was part-sponsored by Skiroule. After impressing James Hunt at Trois-Rivières in 1976, McLaren offered a Formula One deal. He debuted at the 1977 British Grand Prix, qualifying 9th and finishing 11th. McLaren's Teddy Mayer decided not to continue with Villeneuve. In August 1977, Villeneuve met Enzo Ferrari and signed for the last two races of 1977 and the full 1978 season. Villeneuve retired from his home race at Mosport Park and from the final race at Mount Fuji after a collision with Ronnie Peterson that killed two people. The 1978 season saw retirements due to Michelin radial tyre problems. He started on the front row at the United States Grand Prix West but crashed out. He finished second on the road at the .
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