It was 35 years ago that Joseph Gilles Henri Villeneuve lost his life during qualifying for the 1982 Belgian Grand Prix at Zolder.Jody Scheckter spent two years as the French Canadian’s teammate at Ferrari where they developed a friendship which was, and is rare, among Formula 1 drivers.
Scheckter, Formula 1 World Champion in 1979, recollected the time of the tragedy at Zolder.
Speaking to ESPN, the South African recalled, “I was very close to Gilles when we raced, we were friends and we both lived in Monaco. I retired, and I was in Monaco when I heard the news. Immediately I went up to his wife and provided support for the family.”
“It was quite incredible because the Canadian Air Force took us all to Canada with the body. Canada just stopped, it was incredible.”
“When we went to the funeral, the whole highway was full of people. The bridges were full of people. The whole of Canada stop and was devastated because of the lost of Gilles.”
“Gilles was a very genuine person, straight forward and we had a good relationship. I think he was a bit naive in his understanding. He was very upset with Ferrari when [Didier] Pironi passed him at Imola, because there was a rule that if we were first and second with nobody pushing you then you didn’t fight and maintain your position.” Gilles honored that rules when we were team mates, and that certainly played a decisive factor in winning my world championship title.
I suppose he honestly believed Pironi wouldn’t do it and sadly he did and worst Ferrari didn’t support him. Arriving in Zolder, he had that in his mind.
Villeneuve’s Formula 1 record shows six wins and 13 podiums in 66 starts, and although he never won a F1 world title he was one of the most popular drivbers of his era and a true legend of Ferrari.
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