May 8.1982........ 22 years ago and yet it seems like only yesterday......
devilmaster
05-08-04, 07:14 PM
Nigel Roebuck Obit Article - May 13th, 1982.
Gilles Villeneuve
Last Saturday afternoon Gilles Villeneuve died violently at the wheel of a Ferrari. It was the end of the final practice session, and he was going for it. He was on his last set of qualifying tyres, and came upon a slower car. In those circumstances, Gilles so often said, you had to squeeze your fear, keep your foot down. It was absurd, but the system left you no alternative.
Many people in motor racing were totally unable to understand Villeneuve. He was more fiercely competitive than anyone I have ever seen, yet the attraction of the man was that he saved it all for his racing. On the track or off, his integrity was absolute. He had not a trace of affectation. There was no need to surround himself with vacuous hangers-on, as did so many of his colleagues.
Ego is very important in motor racing, essential even. But Gilles enormous confidence came from within himself. He had no need of yes-men to tell him how good he was. He knew. As a consequence, he was secure enough to admit his mistakes, rather than blame the car, and he would look you straight in the eye as he did so.
It was a short career, just over four years at the top of the sport he loved so much. When Gilles first appeared in Formula 1, at Silverstone in 1977, he already had an awesome reputation. Those who had seen him in Canada spoke of an astonishing balance and confidence and pace, and it was apparent in Europe from the start.
History will relate only that he drove in 67 Grands Prix, and won six. It will not remember him as a World Champion, but that is of no consequence. Any such list which omits a Moss is already an absurdity, and Gilles himself often said that the World Championship was a secondary consideration, a bonus. Driving 'for points' was complete anathema to him, a concept he found impossible to comprehend. What mattered was winning races, an instant, intuitive thing, a passion to beat everyone now, today. Planning a Grand Prix season like a military campaign, calculating gains here, losses there, was not Villeneuve's style.
The loss of any great racing driver is a blow to the sport, but Gilles Villeneuve was so much more than that. Those who knew him well liked him enormously, but beyond that there was something of the man which touched fans across the world. There has never, in my experience, been adulation and love for a racing driver such as that for Gilles. Wherever the circuit, the response of the public, as he drove round on the warm-up lap, was instinctive. The mystique of Ferrari helped, of course, but it went further than that. People sensed that, with Gilles, the impossible could happen. There was a crackle of excitement in the air. He would take an inferior chassis, demand of it more than it had to give, and thus we had the Villeneuve style. Genius can never be hidden. He was the best of his generation, and stands comparison with anyone in the history of the sport.
Gilles was a good friend of mine, and I find this task extremely distressing. Quite apart from his superlative ability in a race car, he was a charming man, who never changed with fame and fortune. Polite, honest, and straightforward, he had a tremendous sense of humour and a simple love of life. His attitude to motor racing was unfashionably romantic. In a bland, commercial, world, he loved it for its sake. The jet set made him cringe, and he had an instinctive abhorrence of anything bogus. For me, and, I suspect, many thousands of others, the light has gone out in motor racing.
To his wife, Joanne, their children, Jacques and Melanie, to his family and countless friends, to Mauro Forghieri and everyone in the Ferrari team, we offer our deepest sympathies. Their grief is shared across the world.
NSR
AUTOSPORT, MAY 13, 1982
Steve
ilferrari
05-08-04, 07:49 PM
http://www.ventisetterosso.com
Had to post this, it's a great site. :) :thumbup:
Nice first post Murph! Welcome buddy! :thumbup:
Railbird
05-08-04, 09:39 PM
http://www.gptotal.com.br/images/Gilles-Villeneuve-na-Argent.jpg
One of the all time heroes
btw, where ya workin' now murph?
Did anyone ever have better car control?
BTW, are you the Murphy who called Ashley "Dario's mom?"
Did anyone ever have better car control?
BTW, are you the Murphy who called Ashley "Dario's mom?"
Hi all
I'm just an old fart (retired variety) from Western Pa. Been going to GP's since 1972 when I got the addiction after going to Mosport Park for the Canadian GP. Been my good luck to be present for "Saint" Gilles Ferrari debut at Mosport in '77, His wins at Montreal in '78 and at the Glen in '79.....was there on that Friday afternoon when Gilles posted the fastest time in monsoon conditions...he was "only" 11 seconds faster than Jody who was second......simply awesome.
FTG....wrong Murphy.....there are quite a lot of us......
Camster......counting the days.... be see'in ya in about 5 weeks.....I'll be getting in touch soon.... and I do feel your pain (Kimi....)
"Did anyone have better car control"?
Yes, JV was spectacular. Races were not on TV much then. Ronnie Peterson comes to mind along with many others.
who's boots you licking these days murph??? Stringing for Jack Myroot??? Icing down Paul Page's forehead??? Keeping Mari's wine class full????
We really missed you
Ziggy
murph!
HAHA
The name, you had to be here for the past eight years or so. I saw the name in the "newest member" lineup shoot earlier today. I sort of been waiting......
Dang, I feel very gomered!
If you dont know what gomered means, just hang around for a while. Let me put it this way, it would be like walking into a Synagogue and saying your name was Hitler.
If its murph, I guess its murph!
enjoy
Ziggy
ferrarigod
05-09-04, 01:55 AM
Can't find the black and white version of this incident. Basically GV took the lead in a ball like move, stretched out a lead and then the tyre blew from his power slid oversteer that he used to exit corners. Simply amazing.
This incident is one of many that made Enzo love him like a son. Out and out guts and disdain for anything but a win.
This was after a spin at Zandvoort, he quickly got back up to speed, sparks abound and the front right wheel off the ground at high speed.
http://www.globalserve.net/~trauttf/Gilles/GV11.jpg
You can argue about history's greatest driver until your blue in the face.
But no-one can deny Gilles was the greatest racer.
No-one will ever be better than him in my mind.
BTW: Welcome aboard Murph.
Research indicates you're the same Murph from FM.com.... :D
http://www.f1gallery.ca/f1_movies/1979/Dijon79.mpg :)
http://www.f1gallery.ca/f1_movies/1979/Dijon79.mpg :)
Quotes from that Dijon race ...
"It was just a couple of young lions clawing at each other." - Mario Andretti
"That is my best memory of Grand Prix racing. Those few laps were just fantastic for me - outbraking each other and trying to race for the line, touching each other but without wanting to put the other car out. It was just two guys battling for second place without trying to be dirty but having to touch because of wanting to be first. It was just fantastic! I loved that moment."- Gilles Villeneuve
Ted
:thumbup:
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