Difference between revisions of "Gilles Villeneuve"
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==Formula One== | ==Formula One== | ||
| − | ===1976-: Kojima=== | + | ===[[1976 Alternate Formula One season|1976]]-[[1977 Alternate Formula One season|1977]]: Kojima and Ferrari=== |
Villeneuve made his Formula One debut at the 1976 Japanese Grand Prix for the unfancied [[Kojima Engineering]] squad alongside [[Masahiro Hasemi]]. | Villeneuve made his Formula One debut at the 1976 Japanese Grand Prix for the unfancied [[Kojima Engineering]] squad alongside [[Masahiro Hasemi]]. | ||
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Villeneuve entered the [[XXIX BRDC International Trophy|BRDC International Trophy]] in 1977 with the Kojima squad and impressed even further - taking a fifth place in the race after running ahead of the two works [[Renault]] cars before they retired. | Villeneuve entered the [[XXIX BRDC International Trophy|BRDC International Trophy]] in 1977 with the Kojima squad and impressed even further - taking a fifth place in the race after running ahead of the two works [[Renault]] cars before they retired. | ||
| − | His Kojima heroics impressed those at Maranello, who saw fit to put him in one of the four works [[Ferrari]] cars at the inaugural [[1977 Trofeo Dino Ferrari|Trofeo Dino Ferrari]]. | + | His Kojima heroics impressed those at Maranello, who saw fit to put him in one of the four works [[Ferrari]] cars at the inaugural [[1977 Trofeo Dino Ferrari|Trofeo Dino Ferrari]]. In a solid outing, he would be denied a 3rd place finish after suffering mechanical failure on the last lap. This performance, along with his Kojima drives, put Villeneuve at the top of Enzo Ferrari's shortlist to replace [[Patrick Depailler]] for [[1977 Alternate Formula One season|1978]]. In direct competition with young Italian driver [[Elio de Angelis]], Villeneuve would make his World Championship debut at the 1977 Canadian Grand Prix, replacing Depailler. |
Many corners of the paddock called for Villeneuve to join F1 full time, and he began working on his schedule in the winter of 1977. | Many corners of the paddock called for Villeneuve to join F1 full time, and he began working on his schedule in the winter of 1977. | ||
Revision as of 15:54, 7 October 2017
Joseph Gilles Henri Villeneuve (born 18th January, 1950 in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec, Canada) is a Canadian former racing driver.
His son, Jacques also drove in Formula One - winning the Driver's Championship in 1997 and racing as recently as 2013.
The Île Notre-Dame Circuit was renamed the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in his honour in the mid-1980s.
Formula One
1976-1977: Kojima and Ferrari
Villeneuve made his Formula One debut at the 1976 Japanese Grand Prix for the unfancied Kojima Engineering squad alongside Masahiro Hasemi.
In the wet of Fuji Speedway, the KE007 proved a worthy steed for both drivers - with Villeneuve taking an eleventh place finish in the race.
Villeneuve rejected a bid to race full-time in F1 from American outfit Team Penske and returned to Formula Atlantic in 1977.
Villeneuve entered the BRDC International Trophy in 1977 with the Kojima squad and impressed even further - taking a fifth place in the race after running ahead of the two works Renault cars before they retired.
His Kojima heroics impressed those at Maranello, who saw fit to put him in one of the four works Ferrari cars at the inaugural Trofeo Dino Ferrari. In a solid outing, he would be denied a 3rd place finish after suffering mechanical failure on the last lap. This performance, along with his Kojima drives, put Villeneuve at the top of Enzo Ferrari's shortlist to replace Patrick Depailler for 1978. In direct competition with young Italian driver Elio de Angelis, Villeneuve would make his World Championship debut at the 1977 Canadian Grand Prix, replacing Depailler.
Many corners of the paddock called for Villeneuve to join F1 full time, and he began working on his schedule in the winter of 1977.
