Never was there a more outrageous or spectacular Formula One driver than Gilles Villeneuve. Discovered and introduced to Formula One by James Hunt, Villeneuve made his debut for McLaren at Silverstone in 1977 but despite an impressive drive Teddy Mayer preferred Patrick Tambay. Enzo Ferrari grabbed Villeneuve instead and he spent the rest of his career with the team.
Villeneuve’s erratic reputation won him some criticism from other drivers and journalists, but in the main his indefatigable commitment won him mass adulation, especially from the Ferrari-mad Tifosi. He clashed memorably with Rene Arnoux at Dijon in 1979, dragged his three-wheeled Ferrari around a lap of Zandvoort that same year, and won with a four-car train of rivals on his heels at Jarama in 1981.
Tragically, that would be his last win. In 1982 he lost out to team mate Didier Pironi at Imola when the Frenchman ignored instructions to yield to Villeneuve. Incensed, Villeneuve vowed never to speak to Pironi again, and died in a crash at the following round at Zolder, trying to better Pironi’s time in qualifying…
Sorry a little correction here – it was not an instruction for Pironi to YIELD the position it was an instruction for the two drivers to MAINTAIN positions and not race each other in order that Ferrari might secure a safe 1-2 finish.
Villeneuve was therefore attempting to slow down the pace to conserve fuel and ensure they both finished – Pironi used this knowledge to pass a trusting team mate against team orders on the last lap.