GILLES VILLENEUVE GILLES VILLENEUVE WAS BORN ON JANUARY 18, 1950 IN CHAMBLEY, QUEBEC, CANADA. HE STARTED RACING SNOWMOBILES AT THE AGE OF 17 WHILE SPONSERED BY A SNOWMOBILE MANUFACTURING COMPANY CALLED SKIROULE. HE WON THE 1968 U.S WORLD SERIES FOR SNOWMOBILES AT THE AGE OF 18. HE BECAME A STAFF MEMBER AT SKIROULE AT AGE 20. GILLES MARRIED AMERICAN JOANN BARTHE ON OCTOBER 17, 1970. ONE YEAR LATER THEIR SON JACQUES WAS BORN. THEIR SECOND CHILD MELANIE WAS BORN TWO YEARS LATER IN 1973. GILLES VILLENEUVE JOINED THE MOTO-SKI TEAM IN 1972 AND WON THE CANADIAN SNOWMOBILE CHAMPIONSHIP IN 1973 DRIVING ONCE AGAIN FOR SKIROULE. IN THE WINTER OF 1975/76 SEASON HE WON MOST RACES WITH HIS NEW CONCEPT OF INDEPENDENT SUSPENSION. SNOWMOBILES ALL OVER THE WORLD ARE STILL EQUIPPED WITHE GILLES INVENTION. IN 1974 GILLES DROVE FORMULA ATLANTIC CARS AT THE AGE OF 24 FOR KRIS HARRISON'S ECURIE CANADA TEAM. AT HIS FIRST RACE AT WESTWOOD, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA HE FINISHED 3RD. FOUR RACES LATER AT MOSPORT PARK IN ONTARIO, CANADA IN THE PLAYERS ONTARIO RACE WITH ONLY 9 LAPS LEFT, HE SWIRVED OFF THE TRACK VIOLENTLY AND FRACTURED HIS LEG. HE LATER BROKE OFF THE CAST HIMSELF AND DROVE TO HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA IN HIS MUSTANG TO PRACTISE USING THE CLUTCH PEDAL. HIS FIRST VICTORY WAS IN GIMLI, MANITOBA, CANADA WHERE HE QUALIFIED 19TH ON THE GRID AND WON THE RACE IN APPAULING WEATHER IN THE RAIN. HE LATER SAID ABOUT THIS RACE "I HAD ONLY THE ORANGE CONES AHEAD OF THE CURVE TELLING ME I HAD TO START BRAKING. I DROVE OFF THE TRACK TWICE, BUT I STILL MANAGED TO FINISH". GILLES FINISHED 5TH OVERALL FOR THE 1975 SEASON. IN 1976, GILLES SAID "TO YEARS FROM NOW, I WANT TO BE IN THE COCKPIT OF A FORMULA ONE. TO GET THERE, I'VE GOT TO HAVE A GOOD YEAR IN 1976 SO THE FORMULA ONE TEAMS WILL NOTICE ME". GILLES WAS CHOOSEN OVER BOBBY RAHAL TO DRIVE IN 1976 FOR TEAM ECURIE CANADA. OUT OF 10 FORMULA ATLANTIC RACES IN 1976, GILLES WON 9 OF THEM. GILLES FIRST EUROPEAN RACE WAS IN 1976 IN A FORMULA 2 GRAND PRIX AT PAU IN FRANCE. HE QUALIFIED 10TH ON THE GRID. A FAULTY ENGINE PREVENTED HIM FROM FINISHING THIS RACE. AT THE TIME HE WAS IN 5TH POSITION. IN 1977, GILLES WENT TO ENGLAND TO MEET WITH TEDDY MAYER WHO WAS THE MANAGING DIRECTOR OF THE MARLBORO McLAREN TEAM AND GILLES SIGNED A CONTRACT TO DRIVE IN 4 FORMULA ONE RACES IN THE 1977 SEASON. HE STILL DROVE IN THE 1977 FORMULA ATLANTIC SERIES WHICH WAS NOW SPONSERED BY LABATTS BREWRIES. AT THE FIRST RACE AT MOSPORT PARK IN ONTARIO, WITH KEKE ROSBERG QUALIFYING 2ND, GILLES HAD THE POLE. ROSBERG DROVE GILLES INTO THE WALL ON THE FOURTH LAP AND GILLES CAM BACK TO FINISH 2ND BEHIND DRIVER PRICE COBB. GILLES BEAT ROSBERG AT THE 2ND RACE IN EDMONTON, ALBERTA, CANADA AT THE FINISH LINE. HE BEAT ROSBERG AGAIN IN GIMLI, MANITOBA AND THIS WAS THE THIRD STRAIGHT YEAR AS THE WINNER AT THIS TRACK FOR GILLES. GILLES FIRST F1 RACE AT SILVERSTONE ON JULY 16, 1977 IN ENGLAND HAD HIM QUALIFYING 9TH AND FINISHING 11TH. HE HAD THE 5TH FASTEST LAP TIME IN HIS McLAREN M23. GILLES WON HIS 2ND FORMULA ATLANTIC CANADIAN DRIVERS CHAMPIONSHIP IN A ROW IN 1977 WINNING THE LAST RACDE OF THE SEASON IN THE LABATT'S QUEBEC GRAND PRIX AND IT WAS ALSO HIS 13TH VICTORY OF THIS SERIES, AND HIS LAST RACE IN THE FORMULA ATLANTIC SERIES EVER. ENZO FERRARI CALLED GILLES THE DAY BEFORE HIS 2ND F1 RACE AT THE CANADIAN GRAND PRIX AT MOSPORT PARK. GILLES SIGNED THE SAME DAY HE MET WITH FERRARI IN ITALY. HE DROVE A 3RD FERRARI AT MOSPORT BUT ENDED UP DRIVING THE 2ND FERRARI AFTER DRIVER NIKI LAUDA QUIT FERRARI AFTER HEARING OF GILLES BEING ENTERED AS A 3RD DRIVER. LAUDA DID NOT WANT A THIRD DRIVER. GILLES QUALIFIED 12TH AT MOSPORT AND RETIRED WITH A BROKEN DRIVE SHAFT WHILE IN 5TH POSITION. IT WAS HIS FIRST TIME IN THE FERRARI 312 T2 CAR. AFTER THE RACE GILLES WAS QUOTED AS SAYING "I'D NEVER DRIVEN A CAR WITH SUCH A FLEXIBLE TRANSMISSION". IT WAS THE LAST APPEARANCE AT MOSPORT PARK IN CANADA FOR GILLES VILLENEUVE. GILLES NOW HAD TO MOVE TO EUROPE AND CHOSE FRANCE TO ACCOMODATE THE WISHES OF FERRARI TO HAVE HIM IN EUROPE AT ALL TIMES. HE RENTED A VILLA AT PLASCASSIER NOT FAR FROM CANNES. GILLES ORDERED A CUSTOM HOUSE TRAILER 36 FEET LONG AND A FOUR- WHEEL DRIVE FORD BRONCO FROM QUEBEC SO HE COULD TRAVEL TO ALL THE TRACKS IN EUROPE. HE TAVELLED LATER BY FLYING HIS HELICOPTER AFTER HE OBTAINED HIS PILOT'S LICENCE. THE FINAL RACE OF 1977 WAS HEL IN JAPAN. GILLES QUALIFIED 20TH AND HAD AN ACCIDENT ON THE 5TH LAP AFTER HIS FRONT WHEEL TOUCHED THE BACK OF RONNIE PETERSON'S TYRRELL SENDING THE FERRARI INTO THE AIR AND LANDING AMONG SPECTATORS. TWO PEOPLE WERE KILLED AND 12 INJURED. THE PRESS SOON WERE ALL OVER GILLES CLAIMING HE WAS "RECKLESS" BUT ENZO FERRARI TOLD GILLES OF THE HIGH CONFIDENCE HE HAD IN HIS RACING AND TO JUST TRY AND FORGET ABOUT JAPAN. 1978 SEASON STARTED OUT IN BUENOS AIRES. GILLES QUALIFIED 7TH ON HIS MICHELIN TYRES AND FINISHED 8TH IN HIS FIRST COMPLETE F1 RACE. MARIO ANDRETTI WON THE RACE. THE SECOND RACE IN RIO de JANIERO, BRAZIL PUT GILLES ON THE 6TH SPOT ON THE STARTING GRID. ON LAP 35 HE DROVE OFF THE TRACK FOR A DNF. THE THIRD RACE AT KYALAMI, SOUTH AFRICA HAD GILLES QUALIFYING 9TH IN THE LAST APPEARANCE OF THE 3112 T2 FERRARI. A DNF AGAIN AFTER A BLOWN ENGINE. THE FOURTH RACE AT LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA WAS A GOOD QUALIFYING SESSION AND PUT GILLES ON THE 2ND SPOT ON THE GRID IN HIS NEW 312 T3 FERRARI. HE LEAD THE FIRST 39 LAPS UNTIL HE TOUCHED DRIVER CLAY REGAZZONI'S TYRES IN A TIGHT SITUATION AND GILLES DNF'D INTO THE WALL. HE LATER ADMITTED IT WAS ENTIRELY HIS FAULT. IN MONACO AT THE FIFTH RACE OF THE SEASON GILLES QUALIFIED 8TH. ON THE 5TH LAST LAP OF THE RACE INTO THE TUNNEL HE WENT INTO THE WALL DUE TO A STEERING MALFUNCTION. HE WAS IN 4TH PLACE AT THE TIME. IT WAS GILLES 4TH DNF IN A ROW. AT ZOLDER IN BELGIUM, THE SIXTH RACE GILLES QUALIFIED 4TH. HE ALSO FINISHED 4TH AND SCORED 3 F1 CHAMPIONSHIP POINT'S. HIS FIRST POINTS OF HIS CAREER. THE SEVENTH RACE IN SPAIN PUT GILLES IN 5TH PLACE ON THE GRID, BUT HE FINISHED 10TH DUE TO TYRE TROUBLE. AT THE EIGTH RACE IN SWEDEN, GILLES QUALIFIED 7TH AND DUE TO TYRE TROUBLE AGAIN HE FINISHED IN 9TH PLACE. NIKI LAUDA WON IN A CAR EQUIPPED WITH A REAR FAN, WHICH WAS ALSO THE FIRST AND LAST TIME THIS CAR WAS USED AFTER IT WAS JUDGED ILLEGAL. GILLES WAS IN 9TH POSITION ON THE GRID IN RACE NINE IN FRANCE, AND ONCE AGAIN HE HAD TYRE TROUBLE FINISHING HIM IN 12TH POSITION. BRANDS HATCH, ENGLAND WAS THE TENTH RACE AND GILLES QUALIFIED 7TH BUT DNF'D AFTER LAP 20 WITH A BROKEN AXLE. THE ELEVENTH RACE IN GERMANY PUT GILLES ON THE GRID IN 15TH POSITION. HE FINISHED 8TH. IN AUSTRIA IN ROUND 12 GILLES WAS 11TH ON THE STARTING GRID AND FINISHED 3RD FOR HIS SECOND PODIUM FINISH OF HIS F1 CAREER AND PICKED UP ANOTHER 4 CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS. ROUND 13 IN THE DUTCH GRAND PRIX, GILLES WAS IN 5TH PSITION ON THE GRID AND FINISHED 6TH FOR ANOTHER CHAMPIONSHIP POINT. IN ITALY AT THE 14TH RACE OF THE SEASON, GILLES WAS 2ND ON THE GRID BEHIND MARIO ANDRETTI. THEY BOTH JUMP STARTED THE RACE AND IT WAS RESTARTED WITH BOTH OF THEM PENALIZED 1 MINUTE AND DEMOTED TO 6TH AND 7TH ON THE STARTING GRID. ANDRETTI FINISHED THE RACE 1ST WITH GILLES COMING IN 2ND. RONNIE PETERSON TRAGICALLY DIED AT THE START OF THIS RACE. WATKINS GLEN, USA WAS THE 15TH RACE AND GILLES QUALIFIED 4TH BUT DNF'D AGAIN ON LAP 23 WITH A BLOWN ENGINE. THIS WAS GILLES 6TH DNF OF 1978. THE LAST RACE OF THE SEASON ROUND 16 AT ILL-NOTRE DAME IN MONTREAL, CANADA WAS HELD AT THE 1967 EXPO SITE. ALL THE F1 DRIVERS HAD THREATENED TO BOYCOTT THE MOSPORT RACE IN ONTARIO, CANADA BECAUSE THEY FELT THE TRACK CONDITIONS WERE VERY POOR. THE STREETS OF TORONTO WERE CONSIDERED BUT WERE VETOED BY TORONTO CITY COUNCIL. GILLES QUALIFIED 3RD ON THE GRID AND WENT ON TO WIN THE RACE FOR HIS FIRST F1 VICTORY IN FRONT OF HIS HOME TOWN CROWD AT THE INNAUGRAL RACE. GILLES RECIEVED THE WINNERS TROPHY FROM THE PRIME MINISTER OF CANADA AT THE TIME PIERRE TRUDEAU. THE 1979 SEASON BEGAN IN ARGENTINA IN BUENOS AIRES PUTTING GILLES 10TH POSITION ON THE STARTING GRID. ENGINE FAILURE OCCURED AND GILLES FINISHED 12TH. IN BRAZIL IN ROUND TWO, GILLES QUALIFIED 5TH AND FINISHED 5TH PICKING UP 2 CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS. ROUND THREE HAD GILLES IN 3RD SPOT ON THE STARTING GRID IN HIS NEW FERRARI 312 T4 CAR IN SOUTH AFRICA. HE WENT ON TO WIN HIS 2ND F1 RACE OF HIS CAREER AND ALSO PUT HIM THIRD IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS STANDINGS. ROUND 4 AT LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA WAS THE VENUE FOR GILLES FIRST POLE POSITION IN F1. HE LED FROM START TO FINISH AND TOOK HIS 2ND WIN IN A ROW AND HIS 3RD F1 WIN EVER. IN JARAMA, SPAIN IN ROUND 5, GILLES FINISHED THE RACE IN 7TH PLACE DUE TO DEFECTIVE BRAKES AND A UNEXPECTED TYRE CHANGE. HE WAS NOW TIED FOR FIRST PLACE WITH DEPAILLER IN THE DRIVERS STANDINGS. IN BELFIUM IN ROUND 6 GILLES STARTED 6TH ON THE GRID AND HAD TO CHANGE HIS FRONT WIN AFTER JUST 1 LAP AFTER SOME ONTACT. HE RAN OUT OF GAS JUST 500 FEET FROM THE CHECKERED FLAG WHILE IN 3RD PLACE. HE ENDED UP IN 7TH POSITION FOR THAT RACE. IN MONACO IN ROUND 7, GILLES STARTED OUT ON THE GRID IN 2ND PLACE BUT DNF'D 18 LAPS LATER DUE TO A BROKEN TRANSMISSION. AFTER THE RACE GILLES SAYED "I'VE HAD BAD LUCK - EVERYTHING'S WORKING AGAINST ME. I SHOULD BE AHEAD 10 POINTS BUT THINGS HAVE WORKED OUT THE OPPOSITE WAY". IN ROUND EIGHT IN ENGLAND GILLES QUALIFIED 13TH AND DNF'D DUE TO GAS-LINE PROBLEMS. THIS WAS THE FIRST RACE THAT WILLIAMS WON AN F1 RACE AT. THE CAR WAS DRIVEN BY CLAY REGAZZONI. ROUND NINE IN GEMANY HAD GILLES IN 9TH ON THE GRID AND FINISHING 8TH. AUSTRIA WAS THE SIGHT OF ROUND TEN AND GILLES FINISHED THE RACE IN 2ND PLACE. THE ELEVENTH RACE HELD IN HOLLAND PUT GILLES IN THE PITS WITH A PUNCTURED TYRE. ROUND TWELVE WAS HELD IN FRANCE AT DIJON THIS YEAR. ROUND THIRTEEN IN MONZA, ITALY SAW GILLES QUALIFY 2ND BEHIND HIS TEAM MATE JODY SCHECKTER WHO WITH THIS WIN WOULD BECOME WORLD CHAMPION. GILLES LATER SAID "IT WAS ALWAYS UNDERSTOOD THAT IF JODY WAS AHEAD OF ME, OR I WAS AHEAD OF HIM, AND WINNING THE RACE, THERE WAS NO QUESTION OF TAKING NEEDLESS CHANCES. MAYBE I LOST THE CHAMPIONSHIP BECAUSE OF THAT, BUT I OBEYED ORDERS". AT THE 14 RACE OF 1979 AT WATKINS GLEN, GILLES WON HIS 4TH CAREER F1 VICTORY AND JODY SCHECKTER FINISHED THE SEASON WITH 51 POINTS. GILLES HAD 47 POINTS IN 2ND PLACE, ALAN JONES WAS 3RD WITH 40 POINTS AND JACQUES LAFFITE FINISHED 4TH WITH 30 POINTS. FERRARI DEBUTED THE 312 T5 CAR IN 1980 AND THIS SEASON HAD ONLY 14 RACES IN IT. GILLES DROVE OFF THE TRACK IN ARGENTINA, WATKINS GLEN AND IMOLA IN THE 1980 SEASON. AT IMOLA HE HIT THE GUARD RAIL AND WAS HURLED BACK OUT ONTO THE TRACK. HE HAD MECHANICAL FAILURE IN LONG BEACH, TRANSMISSION FAILURE IN SOUTH AFRICA AND ELECTRICAL SYSTEM PROBLEMS IN ENGLAND. HE FINISHED 16TH IN BRAZIL, 8TH IN FRANCE AND AUSTRIA, AND 7TH IN HOLLAND. HE CAME IN 6TH IN BELGIUM, AND 5TH IN MONACO AND MONTREAL. AFTER QUALIFYING 22ND IN MONTREAL GILLES SAID "IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO COMPETE SERIOUSLY IN A GRAND PRIX RACE WITH A CAR AS UNCOMPETITIVE AS THIS ONE. IT'LL BE A MIRACLE IF I FINISH IN THE TOP TEN". GILLES ACCOPLISHED ONLY 6 CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS IN THE 1980 SEASON. JODY SCHECKTER MANAGED ONLY 2 POINTS FOR THE SEASON AS WELL WITH A FIFTH PLACE FINISH IN LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA. AFTER SCHECKTER FAILED TO QUALIFY FOR THE SECOND LAST RACE IN CANADA IN MONTREAL, HE ANNOUNCED HIS RETIREMENT AFTER THE EASTERN U.S. GRAND PRIX. DIDIER PIRONI WAS NOW GILLES TEAM MATE FOR THE 1981 SEASON. AT THE OPENING RACE OF THE 1981 SEASON AT LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA, GILLES QUALIFIED 5TH AND ON THE 18TH LAP HE HAD TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS AND THIS BAD LUCK CONTINUED IN THE NEXT TWO RACES IN BRAZIL AND ARGENTINA WHERE HE QUALIFIED 7TH BOTH RACES BUT WAS AGAIN KNOCKED OUT OF BOTH RACES DUE TO MECHANICAL FAILURE. SINCE THE POLE POSITION IN 1979 AT LONG BEACH, GILLES TOOK THE POLE AGAIN BUT FINISHED IN 7TH FROM AN UNFORCED TYRE CHANGE. GILLES FINISHED FOURTH AT THE BELGIAN GRAND PRIX AT ZOLDER AFTER QUALIFYING 7TH ON THE STARTING GRID. HE PICKED UP HIS FIRST 3 POINTS OF THE 1981 SEASON. IN MONACO GILLES QUALIFIED SECOND ON THE GRID AND WON THE RACE IN THE NEW TURBO- CHARGED FERRARI FOR THE FIRST TIME. TWO WEEKS LATER IN SPAIN HE WON THE RACE AGAIN AFTER QUALIFYING 7TH ON THE GRID. HE SAID AFTER THE RACE "I WAS ABLE TO HANG ON TO FIRST PLACE THANKS TO THE ENGINE ON THE STRAIGHTAWAY. ON THE CURVES THERE WAS NO QUESTION OF MAKING A MISTAKE - THEY WOULD HAVE TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF IT RIGHT AWAY. THE DRIVERS ALL SAID AFTER THIS RACE THAT "ONLY GILLES VILLENEUVE COULD HAVE PASSED GILLES VILLENEUVE TODAY". VILLENEUVE QUALIFIED 11TH AND STARTED THE MONTREAL RACE IN CANADA IN THE RAIN. HE FINISHED THE RACE IN THIRD PLACE EVEN WITH A FRONT WING THAT STUCK STRAIGHT UP AFTER AN EARLIER COLLISION, AND HE EVENTUALLY LOST THE WING IN THE LAST HAIRPIN TURN BEFORE THE FINISH LINE. GILLES SAID AFTER THE RACE WHEN SOMEONE MENTIONED WHAT HE WOULD HAVE DONE IF HE WAS BLACK- FLAGGED "I WOULDN'T HAVE STOPPED ANYWAY BECAUSE I COULDN'T SEE A THING". GILLES RETIRED FROM THE RACES IN FRANCE, ITALY AND LAS VEGAS DUE TO MECHANICAL FAILURES. HE WENT OFF TRACK IN ENGLAND, AUSTRIA AND HOLLAND. WHEN THE 1982 SEASON STARTED, GILLES HAD 6 WINS UNDER HIS BELT AND ALWAYS WANTED TO BEAT JACKIE STEWARTS RECORD OF TWENTY-SEVEN GRAND PRIX'S WHICH AT THIS TIME IN F1 HISTORY WAS THE RECORD. AT THE FIRST RACE OF THE 1982 SEASON AT KYALAMI, SOUTH AFRICA, GILLES JOINED THE OTHER DRIVERS AND BANNED THE FIRST SET OF QUALIFYING SESSIONS AS THEY PROTESTED THE UNSAFE TRACK CONDITIONS IN ALOT OF THE CIRCUITS CURVES AND WANTED THEM FIXED TO REDUCE ACCIDENTS. GILLES EVENTUALLY QUALIFIED IN 3RD SPOT ON THE GRID AND IN THE SIXTH LAP HIS ENGINE BLEW UP. HIS TEAM MATE PIRONI ALSO RETIRED DUE TO MECHANICAL FAILURE. GILLES QUALIFIED 2ND IN BRAZIL IN ROUND 2. HE LED THE RACE AT THE START AND ON LAP 29 HE WAS FIGHTING FOR TRACK POSITION WITH NELSON PIQUET WHO TRIED TO OVERTAKE GILLES WHO ENDED UP OFF THE TRACK. HE SAID LATER AFTER THE RACE "I WANTED TO GIVE IT EVERYTHING AND HANG ON TO MY LEAD INSTEAD OF FOOLING AROUND AND TRYING TO PILE UP POINTS. I'VE GOT NO INTENTION OF WINNING THE WORLD CHAPIONSHIP BY PLACING THIRD AND FOURTH ALL THE TIME. AT THE THIRD ROUND AT LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA GILLES QUALIFIED 7TH. FERRARI USED TWO WINGS ALL THE WAY ACROSS THE BACK OF THE CAR INSTEAD OF JUST THE ONE AT THIS RACE. GILLES SAID "THESE WINGS AREN'T NECESSARILY MORE EFFICIENT. THE POINT IS TO SHOW HOW EASY IT IS TO INTERPRET THE RULES DIFFERENTLY, WHICH IS WHAT THE BRITISH CONSTRUCTORS WHO BELONG TO FOCA ARE DOING. GILLES FINISHED THE RACE IN 3RD BUT WAS DISQUALIFIED ON A PROTEST BY OTHER DRIVERS DUE TO THIS WING CONFIGURATION. AT IMOLA IN ITALY IN ROUND 4, GILLES DROVE IN THE RACE WHICH HAD ONLY 14 CARS IN IT DUE TO THE BOYCOTT BY FOCA IN PROTEST AGAINST THE DECISION TO DISQUALIFY THEIR DRIVERS IN BRAZIL. GILLES QUALIFIED 3RD AND DIDIER PIRONI OVERTOOK GILLES ON LAP 46 AND ON LAP 49 GILLES TOOK OVER HIS RIGHTFUL POSTION ONCE AGAIN. GILLES SAID AFTER "AT THAT POINT I THOUGHT HE JUST WANTED TO MAKE THE RACE A LITTLE MORE EXCITING. PIRONI OVERTOOK GILLES AGAIN ON LAP 53 AFTER GILLES SLOWED DOWN AGAIN AND PIRONI KEPT THIS LEAD FOR ANOTHER 6 LAPS. ON THE 2ND LAST LAP GILLES OVERTOOK PIRONI AGAIN AND ON THE LAST LAP PIRONI PASSED GILLES TO WIN HIS FIRST RACE AS A FERRARI DRIVER. GILLES WAS FURIOUS AND SAID "HE JUST STOLE MY SEVENTH GRAND PRIX VICTORY. EACH TIME I WAS IN FRONT I DELIBERATELY SLOWED DOWN TO AVOID RUNNING OUT OF GAS BECAUSE THE PRACTICE RUNS BEFORE THE RACE HAD TOLD US CONSUMPTION WAS HIGHER THAN USUAL. SEVERAL TIMES IN THE PAST I'VE FOUND MYSELF IN A SIMILAR SITUATION AND I'VE ALWAYS OBEYED THE RULES. I WOULD HAVE EXPECTED THE SAME FROM DIDIER. THEN CAME THE RACE AT ZOLDER IN THE BELGIAN GRAND PRIX. GILLES HAD QUALIFIED THE FIRST SESSION IN 5TH. IN THE LAST QUALIFYING SESSION ON THE DAY OF MAY 08, 1982 GILLES DROVE OUT OF THE PITS AND WITH ONLY 10 MINUTES LEFT IN THE SESSION HE WANTED TO GET A TIME THAT WOULD PUT HIM ON POLE. THE REST IS RACING HISTORY. GILLES VILLENEUVE WAS ONE OF THE BEST DRIVERS AT THE TIME AND WE ARE SURE HE WOULD HAVE BECOME WORLD CHAMPION MANY TIMES OVER IF THAT TRAGIC DAY IN MAY IN BELGIUM HAD NEVER HAPPENED. BUT F1 WRITES IT'S OWN HISTORY AND SADLY IT WAS NOT TO BE FOR GILLES VILLENEUVE. AT 32 YEARS OF AGE THE WORLD LOST A GREAT DRIVER WHO IS NOW IMORTALIZED ON THE CANADIAN STAMP. HE WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN AND IS STILL TALKED ABOUT TODAY MORE THAN 16 YEARS LATER BY DRIVERS AND FANS OF TODAY AND WILL BE BY THE DRIVERS AND FANS OF TOMORROW. NOW THAT IS WHAT LEGENDS ARE MADE OF IN OUR EYES.
JANUARY 18, 1950 - MAY 08, 1982