Jacques Villeneuve in his father Gilles' car for the first time
Last Monday, Gilles Villeneuve's son Jacques (41) drove a few test laps in his father's car, the 1979 Ferrari 312 T4, on Ferrari's Fiorano test track. He recalled: "The whole family always accompanied him to the races. We lived in the motorhome, which was much better than school. I have the most memories of being at the track and watching him race. I see him 90% as a driver who wasn't often at home and hardly as a father. But that seemed completely normal to me at the time."
"Gilles was an extraordinary person and driver. He had an incredible temperament," said Ferrari boss Luca di Montezemolo at a memorial ceremony in Fiorano. Montezemolo continued: "I still remember Enzo Ferrari telling me that he had seen a young man with a lot of temperament and talent racing snowmobiles in Canada. He already had a preliminary contract with McLaren, but Ferrari wanted to bring a breath of fresh air into the team. And we succeeded, because he gave the spectators what they wanted. He never cared much about the championship."
Present at the memorial ceremony were Villeneuve's son Jacques (F1 World Champion 1997), his widow Joanna and daughter Melanie, as well as his mechanics and engineers and the two current Ferrari drivers Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa.
