The 2012 season marks the 30th anniversary of Gilles Villeneuve's fatal crash during qualifying of the 1982 Belgian Grand Prix. Today, former World Champion and ex-rival Alan Jones speaks about the missed Ferrari driver.
Australian Jones was the first driver to win a World Championship in a Williams car, but in Formula 1, he never did make too many new friends.
Jones liked to keep his distance from his fellow drivers because of the danger involved with their job, and because he didn't want anyone to size up his weaknesses. So maybe Jones and Villeneuve weren't the best of friends, but according to the man himself 'Gilles and I didn't avoid each other when we would meet…'
"I remember the 1979 Zandvoort Grand Prix, where he ripped off his car his blown rear left tire and drove flat out back to the pits on three wheels, the fourth hanging by the brake line" reveals Jones.
"I wasn't a fan of him that day, and I walked up to him to say so: 'It's understandable you drove your car all the way back to the pits because you didn't want to walk the distance, it was nice of you to stay in the car, too, but had the brake line let go at the wrong moment, your rim would have hit the driver behind.'
"Basically I told him what he did was stupid, but that was classic Gilles. A perfect fit for Ferrari. As a matter of fact, he'd have been the perfect driver for Lotus too, since Colin Chapman believed the perfect car should progressively disintegrate during a race in order to cross the finish line with only three bolts.
"Gilles had amazing car control and immense talent. He was a proud and extremely determined competitor too, very tough. I think it's those qualities that made him an obvious choice for Ferrari and a hero to the public."
Australian Jones was the first driver to win a World Championship in a Williams car, but in Formula 1, he never did make too many new friends.
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| Austrian GP 1979: Gilles Villeneuve (3rd), Alan Jones (winner) and Jacques Laffite. (Photo: LAT Williams) |
Jones liked to keep his distance from his fellow drivers because of the danger involved with their job, and because he didn't want anyone to size up his weaknesses. So maybe Jones and Villeneuve weren't the best of friends, but according to the man himself 'Gilles and I didn't avoid each other when we would meet…'
"I remember the 1979 Zandvoort Grand Prix, where he ripped off his car his blown rear left tire and drove flat out back to the pits on three wheels, the fourth hanging by the brake line" reveals Jones.
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| Monaco GP 1981: Alan Jones and Gilles Villeneuve battling for victory. (Photo: WRi2) |
"I wasn't a fan of him that day, and I walked up to him to say so: 'It's understandable you drove your car all the way back to the pits because you didn't want to walk the distance, it was nice of you to stay in the car, too, but had the brake line let go at the wrong moment, your rim would have hit the driver behind.'
"Basically I told him what he did was stupid, but that was classic Gilles. A perfect fit for Ferrari. As a matter of fact, he'd have been the perfect driver for Lotus too, since Colin Chapman believed the perfect car should progressively disintegrate during a race in order to cross the finish line with only three bolts.
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| Frank Williams and Alan Jones, 1980. (Photo: WRi2) |
"Gilles had amazing car control and immense talent. He was a proud and extremely determined competitor too, very tough. I think it's those qualities that made him an obvious choice for Ferrari and a hero to the public."