Back Gilles Villeneuve Afrikaans جيل فيلنوف Arabic جيل فيلنوف ARZ Жыль Вільнёў Byelorussian Жыль Вільнёў BE-X-OLD Жил Вилньов Bulgarian Gilles Villeneuve Breton Gilles Villeneuve Catalan Gilles Villeneuve Czech Gilles Villeneuve Danish
Gilles Villeneuve | |
|---|---|
 Villeneuve at Imola, 1979 | |
| Born | Joseph Gilles Henri Villeneuve January 18, 1950 Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec, Canada |
| Died | May 8, 1982 (aged 32) Leuven, Belgium |
| Children | 2, including Jacques |
| Relatives | Jacques Villeneuve, Sr. (brother) |
| Formula One World Championship career | |
| Active years | 1977–1982 |
| Teams | McLaren, Ferrari |
| Engines | Ford Cosworth, Ferrari |
| Entries | 68 (67 starts)[1] |
| Championships | 0 (2nd in 1979) |
| Wins | 6 |
| Podiums | 13 |
| Career points | 101 (107)[a] |
| Pole positions | 2 |
| Fastest laps | 8 |
| First entry | 1977 British Grand Prix |
| First win | 1978 Canadian Grand Prix |
| Last win | 1981 Spanish Grand Prix |
| Last entry | 1982 Belgian Grand Prix |
| Signature | |
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Joseph Gilles Henri Villeneuve (French pronunciation: [ʒil vil.nœv]) (January 18, 1950 – May 8, 1982) was a Canadian racing driver who spent six years in Formula One racing for Scuderia Ferrari, winning six Grands Prix and earning widespread acclaim for his performances.
An enthusiast of cars and fast driving from an early age, Villeneuve started his professional career in snowmobile racing in his native province of Quebec. He moved into single seaters, winning the US and Canadian Formula Atlantic championships in 1976, before being offered a drive in Formula One with the McLaren team at the 1977 British Grand Prix. He was taken on by reigning world champions Ferrari for the end of the season and drove for the Italian team from 1978 until his death in 1982. Villeneuve won six Grand Prix races in a short career at the highest level, and claimed second, his highest finish, in the 1979 Formula One World Championship; four points behind teammate Jody Scheckter.
Villeneuve died in a 140 mph (230 km/h) crash resulting from a collision with the March car driven by Jochen Mass during qualifying for the 1982 Belgian Grand Prix at Zolder. The accident came less than two weeks after an intense argument with his teammate Didier Pironi over Pironi's move to pass Villeneuve at the preceding San Marino Grand Prix. At the time of his death, Villeneuve was extremely popular with fans and has since become an iconic figure in the history of the sport. His son, Jacques Villeneuve, became Formula One World Champion in 1997, to date the only Canadian to win the Formula One World Championship.
- ^ "Gilles entered 68 races but only started 67". Grand Prix Racing. June 9, 2006. Archived from the original on July 2, 2007. Retrieved July 9, 2006.
- ^ Diepraam, Mattijs (January 18, 2019). "World Championship points systems". 8W. Retrieved November 5, 2020.
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