F1 Classic

  Race Engineer of Didier Pironi gave some personal background information for the better understanding to the relationship of the famous Ferrari teammates.   1981 was the first year with the turbo engine. Gilles won two races but Didier had too many problems. Why? It was the first year with the…

René Arnoux is known for many great drives in Formula One, but there is one in particular that stands out in the memories of all Formula One fans...Dijon 1979!   What is your first recollection of Gilles Villeneuve? When did you meet him? I don’t remember exactly. Probably I saw him first…

Sir Jackie Stewart liked Gilles Villeneuve a lot as a person and admits he was an exciting driver, but doesn’t count him among the greatest. What is your first memory of Gilles Villeneuve? My strongest memory is of him when we flew home in his helicopter from Imola. There was…

Marco Piccinini was the Sport Director of the Ferrari Formula 1 team between 1978-1988. In this capacity he had the closest view of Gilles Villeneuve’s entire Ferrari period. You became Direttore Sportivo when Gilles Villeneuve became part of the team. What was the situation inside Ferrari now…

Five-time Grand Prix winner and runner up in the ”nightmare” 1982 World Championship, John Watson moved on to commentate on Formula One for the Eurosport. In true John Watson fashion he has a firm opinion on Gilles Villeneuve.   In 1977 at Silverstone Gilles Villeneuve appeared in Formula 1.…

Brenda Vernor first came to Modena in 1962. Here she met the English racing driver Mike Parkes who was driving for Ferrari. At this time she was teaching English in Italy. Piero Ferrari was one of her students. She became secretary to Enzo Ferrari doing his translations from English to Italian for…

Patrick Tambay was Gilles Villeneuve’s closest friend among Formula One drivers. They both arrived in Formula One in the summer of 1977. Five years later, in March 1982, Tambay thought his adventure at the pinnacle of racing was over.  He left the Grand Prix scene and sought employment in other…

Gerald Donaldson witnessed Gilles Villeneuves’ F1 debut in 1977 and twelve years later his best selling biography on Villeneuve’s life graced the bookshelves of the world. Donaldson recalls the birth of his famous book and Canada’s most famous racing driver.   What was your connection to…

Sergio Vezzali was a Ferrari mechanic from 1958 to 1993. He was responsible for Gilles Villeneuve’s cars while he drove for Ferrari. Still living in Maranello, Vezzali, now 81, fondly remembers Gilles.   When did you first meet Gilles? On the very first day he came to Maranello. He had his…

Tullio Abbate is a constructor of fine Italian motorboats. In 1981 he organized the Rothmans Trophy race for power boats for Formula 1 drivers. It took place on Lake Como prior to the Italian Grand Prix at Monza. Gilles won the first of race, but did not participate in the second and last race due…

Jeff V. Hutchinson was a prominent member of Formula 1 journalists who followed the sport during the romatic era of the 1970s and 1980s. He has his own view of Gilles Villeneuve. Did Ferrari take a big risk hiring Villeneuve to replace Lauda at the end of 1977? Not really, he was obviously a…

Emerson Fittipaldi - living legend of Formula 1. Emerson has many memories and stories from the 1970s. He talked about Gilles Villeneuve from his Brazilian home. Villeneuve A Racing Legend! Buy the Book http://t.co/dSK6XzxVPU   A kind of parallel between you and Gilles; you started with World…

Mario Andretti, World Champion of 1978, at 74 years of age, is a living legend of Formula One. He spoke to me about an another legend who died at just 32: Gilles Villeneuve. Villeneuve A Racing Legend! Buy the Book http://t.co/dSK6XzxVPU   What is your first memory of Gilles? It was when he…

Ercole Colombo is one the big names among Formula One photographers. A long serving witness with his camera who was and still is a devoted admirer of  Gilles Villeneuve.  Villeneuve A Racing Legend! Buy the Book http://t.co/dSK6XzxVPU When did you first meet Gilles? What was your first…

Mauro Forghieri was chief designer at Ferrari between 1962-1985. He worked together with Gilles Villeneuve for the entire carreer of the Canadian idol. That is how he spoke about him to me.    What was you opinion on Gilles after the first meetings and tests in Fiorano? He was a real novice but…

World Champion Jody Scheckter was Gilles' teammate at Ferrari in 1979/80. In this interview he gave me recently he recalls their times together 35 years ago... - Before you signed for Ferrari you already had a season together in 1978 - you with Wolf, Gilles at Ferrari. How did you see him in his…

Italian Grand Prix correspondent Pino Allievi (Corriere dello Sport) had the privilege of closely observing Gilles Villeneuve throughout his career in Formula One. We discussed the great Canadian driver.   When Niki Lauda announced he was moving to Brabham was Ferrari in a panic to replace him?…

As Hungary was the 'Happiest Barack' among the countries behind the Iron Curtain, we were allowed to travel to the West - in every three years. My father (a pediatrician) decided to send me to an English summer course to England in 1982 - he seriously believed that one day the the Socialism will…

Harminc évvel a rettenetes 1982-es Forma-1-es szezon után egyre több olyan vélemény jelenik egykori szemtanúk, barátok részéről, ami alaposan átrajzolja a San Marinói Nagydíjon született végeredményt és az azt követő zolderi tragédiát. A Ferrari csapatban 1981 óta az addigra…