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 immediately. Revealing a behind-the-scenes story about Gilles Villeneuve’s profession was Piero Ferrari, in an interview with Leo Turrini revealed 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 additionally 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 by which Gilles Villeneuve raced with Ferrari after competing within the final two Grand Prix of the 1977 season with the Scuderia. Based on Piero Ferrari, Enzo’s intention for 1979 was to ship Gilles to realize expertise with one other group, because of the quite a few accidents that had characterised his first months at Maranello. A call that modified course due to Carlos Reutemann’s sudden alternative to depart Ferrari and transfer to Lotus.
Gilles Villeneuve “legend by chance”
“In 1978,” explains Ferrari, “my father had determined to ship Villeneuve to realize expertise with one other group, he was entering 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 rapidly, by means of his secretary Gozzi, as a result of at that time I needed to inform the Canadian that we might maintain him. Typically legends are born virtually by chance!”
Ferrari had chosen Riccardo Patrese
This idea, that Enzo Ferrari had thought of parting methods with Gilles Villeneuve for 1979, shouldn’t be in battle with what Riccardo Patrese wrote in his e book *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 prompted numerous bother, and underneath heavy media strain, Enzo Ferrari had pointed me out as a potential alternative for Villeneuve. He revealed himself to me in a really totally different manner 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, finally fell by means of virtually by chance. The decisive consider Ferrari’s ultimate alternative was the final race of the 1978 season, the place Gilles Villeneuve crossed the end line first at his house race in Montreal. This victory satisfied the Drake of the motive force’s aggressive maturity, main him to imagine that he may nonetheless win his best guess. The remainder is historical past, with Gilles Villeneuve staying at Ferrari and enjoying a vital function in serving to Jody Scheckter win the 1979 title.
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