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Legends of Formula 1 - Gilles Villeneuve

22 December 2009

Joseph Gilles Henri Villeneuve is perhaps one of the more unheralded Formula 1 drivers of his generation. The Canadian-born racer’s career was much shorter than other legends of the sport, but in his 68 career races (67 career starts), Villeneuve won 6 of them, finishing on 13 podiums, amassing over 100 career points and earning 2 poles.

His name isn’t mentioned much in the “winner” discussion due to the fact that Villeneuve never won an F1 Championship, but his 2nd place finish in 1979 alerted the racing world of the presence of a serious contender. Villeneuve’s career wasn’t cut short due to poor performance or a lack of love for the sport. He died after an on-track accident in 1982, making him one of the many tragic causalities of this fast-paced sport.

Gilles Villeneuve was born January 18, 1950 in Berthierville, Quebec, Canada. In his younger years, Gilles raced snowmobiles and was always interested in the sport. Eventually, Gilles found his niche in the single-seat style of formula racing, and he quickly won the US and Canadian Formula Atlantic championships in 1976. Soon after, the McLaren team of Formula One came knocking at his door, and Gilles was suited up and ready to go at the British Grand Prix in 1977.

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