salut, Gilles at 53

just a thought, Gilles Villeneuve would have been 53 tomorrow.

What would Gilles be involved in now if he had survived his career?. Back to snowmobiles, sportscars (don't think the ultra-efficient Audis/Bentleys would suit his style, perhaps a Viper), powerboats. I'm not sure, altho' I suspect that he would have turned his back on the self-important world of contemporary F1. Growing old disgracefully I would hope....

and Pedro Rodriguez 63...............

Pedro 917 - That's right. Many don't realize that Rodriguez and Villeneuve were born exactly 10 years apart.

Two who passed too soon.

I sometimes wonder if Jacques would have raced if Gilles had been there. Sure if he did, Gilles would have supported him all the way. What better for a racing father than to see his son following his steps?

Just to give you an idea...Gilles' younger brother Jacques ( the other one ) still races snowmobiles during the winter. He's in his late forties.

I once met Jacques (the other one) when he was in CART, 1986 I think. I asked him how his plans were going for getting into F1.
He said, "Those bastards don't want to sponsor me", with a very big grin.
Priceless!

If Gilles were still with us, he'd be a very happy retired ex-World Champion with stories to tell about how much he preferred the simple life in Quebec to the insanity of Europe...
That's my take on things...

Cheers

I really thought he was still alive...



...at least he tried to keep it that way...



...the true measure of a driver's success, I guess.

Originally posted by mp4
...If Gilles were still with us, he'd be a very happy retired ex-World Champion with stories to tell about how much he preferred the simple life in Quebec to the insanity of Europe...
That's my take on things...

Cheers

Hopefully still full of the devil, pitching his passenger's briefcases out the helicopter window!

And here's Pedro in action in what was to be his last Grand Prix..........still miss him!!

Originally posted by Ray Bell
I really thought he was still alive...

Thanks, Ray - perfect!

I was 10 years old when Gilles died.

My first memory of Formula One is seeing those red Ferraris, first and second on the grid at Monaco in 1979. Those beautiful red cars. I couldn't get over the beauty of the colour red, for it was our first colour television. I was fascinated by the build up to the race. Looking back, it was probably one of the BBC's rare live broadcasts. They would do Monaco, France, Britain if I remember in those early days. By the time of Sunday Grandstand they would show races, cut away to show cricket or Wimbledon, then come back. You would get those silly quantel video page turning effects and the screen showing your beloved grand prix would shrink to two thirds of the size, so that the all important cricket and football scores could be shown, dsiplayed on a hideous bright gtreen background with lurid yelllow text to tell you that the tennis will start at half three.

That's something most people forget when berating ITV.

Anyway...

Gilles at Dijon and Zandvoort left a huge impression. That puncture, the sparks, the car ripping itself to pieces, going into the pits and being covered with a red sheet. I was still excited about it hours later, when my dad came back from night shift. Dijon, what to say? Not buying that issue of Motor Sport with the Dijon battle in, telling my dad later after we had left the newsagents that they had it in stock and him saying "Really? You should have told me and I'd have got you it" and feeling guilty.

My dad told me these incredible tales of Niki Lauda, this man who had came back from certain death, and raced again within weeks, his face horribly burned, his ear burned clean off. Years later I would read his books and be horrified at what he went through, the blood poisoning etc. The Matras with those huge airboxes. Not I knew that they were called airboxes back then, they just looked funny.

The Willams team I didn't like. They tried to beat my Gilles. Dad would say how Patrick Head was a great designer. (I remember him being pleased one time when Patrick joined one of his drivers on the podium.) I couldn't see it. These days the lines of those cars look amazing but back then all I wanted was Gilles to win. Those incredible starts. Wondering why a car could start first one race and thirteenth the next.

Happening to hear Frank Bough say, on Grandstand that Gilles had crashed in practice. Them showing that horrible video.. Then Frank Bough saying later, in beween the football scores that the doctors were saying that even if he survived he would have serious brain damage.

Going back to school the following Monday, not giving a **** about anything anymore. My best friend Frank wondering what was bothering me so as I kicked the railings in the school playground.

You see, it was catch fencing. The same stupid catch fencing that had took Gilles away forever.

Personally, I often think about what Gilles would have made of his son's behaviour.

The latest remark about "only respecting Button if he is quick" really was the pits.

Most people respect their fellow man until said fellow man has given ample evidence of not being worth it - rather than the other way round.

JV really is a spoilt and overpaid brat, and will be no loss to Grand prix racing when Richards finally manages to get rid of him.

And in addition: if I were the person at British American Tobacco responsible for throwing away zillions of pounds at JV and Craig whatsit, I would have fallen on my sword a long time ago. A more stupid waste of corporate funds and image is difficult to imagine.

Cheap shot at Jacques. There are like 10 threads bashing him at Readers' Comments, you know?

Originally posted by Mohican
Personally, I often think about what Gilles would have made of his son's behaviour.

The latest remark about "only respecting Button if he is quick" really was the pits.

Most people respect their fellow man until said fellow man has given ample evidence of not being worth it - rather than the other way round.

"Some guys in Formula 1 ... well, to me they're not racing drivers. They drive racing cars, that's all. They're doing half a job. And in that case I wonder why they do it at all..."

Who said that? JV? No, it was Gilles. He was never shy voicing his opinion about the sport and other drivers. Who do you think made Jacques so though-minded?

JV really is a spoilt and overpaid brat, and will be no loss to Grand prix racing when Richards finally manages to get rid of him.

And in addition: if I were the person at British American Tobacco responsible for throwing away zillions of pounds at JV and Craig whatsit, I would have fallen on my sword a long time ago.

Well, you are not but don't let this stop you...

I must admit that I am very disappointed at the anti Jacques culture that has been festering over at Readers Comments. If you don't like the guy, fine. Just don't go on about it again and again. For what it is worth, I have been a JV fan since his first season in CART, so maybe that makes me a bit biased.

Back to the topic, I think Gilles would maybe have been doing an American Sportscar championship, or something like that. I raise my glass to the guy, he was one of many that went too soon.

Gilles in 1982, stopped to chat with photographer folk at the paddock gate, Long Beach:



Full-size:
http://www.fototime....DF06FD/orig.jpg


Frank S