Gilles Villeneuve’s birthday, Ferrari’s needs
Ferrari celebrates on social media the birthday of the unforgettable and unforgettable Gilles Villeneuve. The Canadian driver, who tragically handed away in an accident throughout qualifying for the 1982 Belgian Grand Prix at Zolder, would have turned 75 as we speak. Revealing a behind-the-scenes story about Gilles Villeneuve’s profession was Piero Ferrari, in an interview with Leo Turrini printed within the Quotidiano Nazionale: the son of Enzo Ferrari, who will flip 80 this yr, not solely spoke in regards to the much-anticipated arrival of Lewis Hamilton at Maranello but in addition remembered a sliding doorways second in Villeneuve’s profession.
The reminiscence of the vice chairman and non-executive director of Ferrari goes again to 1978, the primary actual full season during which Gilles Villeneuve raced with Ferrari after competing within the final two Grand Prix of the 1977 season with the Scuderia. In response to Piero Ferrari, Enzo’s intention for 1979 was to ship Gilles to achieve expertise with one other group, because of the quite a few accidents that had characterised his first months at Maranello. A choice that modified course due to Carlos Reutemann’s sudden alternative to depart Ferrari and transfer to Lotus.
Gilles Villeneuve “legend accidentally”
“In 1978,” explains Ferrari, “my father had determined to ship Villeneuve to achieve expertise with one other group, he was stepping into too many accidents. I used to be supposed to inform Gilles the information, however on the identical day, the Argentine Reutemann made it recognized that he was leaving us. Dad reached me shortly, by way of his secretary Gozzi, as a result of at that time I needed to inform the Canadian that we’d maintain him. Generally legends are born virtually accidentally!”
Ferrari had chosen Riccardo Patrese
This idea, that Enzo Ferrari had thought of parting methods with Gilles Villeneuve for 1979, isn’t in battle with what Riccardo Patrese wrote in his guide *F1 Backstage*. The Venetian driver truly recounts in his autobiography, written with Giorgio Terruzzi, that he had met the Drake to signal a letter of intent: “That yr, Gilles had brought on quite a lot of hassle, and underneath heavy media stress, Enzo Ferrari had pointed me out as a doable alternative for Villeneuve. He revealed himself to me in a really totally different means from how he was described, and he proposed that I signal a letter of intent stating that I’d not make commitments for 1979.”
An settlement that, like each sliding doorways second, ultimately fell by way of virtually accidentally. The decisive think about Ferrari’s remaining alternative was the final race of the 1978 season, the place Gilles Villeneuve crossed the end line first at his residence race in Montreal. This victory satisfied the Drake of the motive force’s aggressive maturity, main him to consider that he might nonetheless win his biggest wager. The remainder is historical past, with Gilles Villeneuve staying at Ferrari and taking part in an important function in serving to Jody Scheckter win the 1979 title.
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