Time sure flies. This year will mark the 30th anniversary of Gilles Villeneuve's tragic death .
I know most of you didn't get the opportunity to know the man or are too young to remember watching him race. You're familiar with the name, but you can't grasp the aura that surrounds this illustrious F1 driver.
Like many people from my generation, I precisely recall where I was on that fateful Saturday morning of May 1992 when Christian Tortora (then the only communication link between Canada and Formula 1) announced that Villeneuve had suffered a ''major crash.'' The rest is history.
Thirty years have gone by and Auto123.com will commemorate the life of our beloved icon with a series of features, interviews, videos, and photo galleries. This won't be the same old same old, however: Expect new and original comments from insiders and people who worked closely with Villeneuve.
We've been working on this project for more than two months now. We've interviewed and will continue to interview a number of individuals, some of them you probably have never heard about, who significantly helped Villeneuve at various points in his glorious career.
Talking to all these people (who aren't getting any younger, unfortunately) proves to be a whole lot of fun. On the phone, I can clearly sense how happy and proud they are to be sharing memories of Gilles and reminiscing all the wonderful traits they saw in this talented young driver.
Michael Schumacher, Ayrton Senna, and even Sebastian Vettel are often mentioned as the top F1 driver of all time. True, they all boast an impressive resume that includes multiple world championships.
However, despite only six Grand Prix victories, Villeneuve managed to put a definite stamp on his era with a sheer determination on the track, complete sincerity, and a shocking ability to make mediocre cars competitive. He was the guy who could turn a very average Ferrari into a winner.
As early as this month, we'll begin our series of exclusive features on the great Gilles Villeneuve, so don't miss it!
I know most of you didn't get the opportunity to know the man or are too young to remember watching him race. You're familiar with the name, but you can't grasp the aura that surrounds this illustrious F1 driver.
Like many people from my generation, I precisely recall where I was on that fateful Saturday morning of May 1992 when Christian Tortora (then the only communication link between Canada and Formula 1) announced that Villeneuve had suffered a ''major crash.'' The rest is history.
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| Photo: René Fagnan/Auto123.com |
Thirty years have gone by and Auto123.com will commemorate the life of our beloved icon with a series of features, interviews, videos, and photo galleries. This won't be the same old same old, however: Expect new and original comments from insiders and people who worked closely with Villeneuve.
We've been working on this project for more than two months now. We've interviewed and will continue to interview a number of individuals, some of them you probably have never heard about, who significantly helped Villeneuve at various points in his glorious career.
Talking to all these people (who aren't getting any younger, unfortunately) proves to be a whole lot of fun. On the phone, I can clearly sense how happy and proud they are to be sharing memories of Gilles and reminiscing all the wonderful traits they saw in this talented young driver.
Michael Schumacher, Ayrton Senna, and even Sebastian Vettel are often mentioned as the top F1 driver of all time. True, they all boast an impressive resume that includes multiple world championships.
However, despite only six Grand Prix victories, Villeneuve managed to put a definite stamp on his era with a sheer determination on the track, complete sincerity, and a shocking ability to make mediocre cars competitive. He was the guy who could turn a very average Ferrari into a winner.
As early as this month, we'll begin our series of exclusive features on the great Gilles Villeneuve, so don't miss it!