Villeneuve soon behind the wheel of a Ferrari at Fiorano

May 8, 1982, will remain in the memories of Formula One as one of the saddest days in its history, following the tragic passing of Gilles Villeneuve during the qualifying for the Belgian Grand Prix, then held at Zolder: “His death deprived us of a great champion, one of those I loved immensely,” said Enzo Ferrari later about the Quebecer he decided to hire after his second Grand Prix in 1977. “My story is scarred by grief: parents, brothers, my son. My life is full of sad memories. I look back and see the faces of those I loved, and among them, I see him.”

Thirty years after the disappearance of the one sometimes nicknamed “The Little Prince,” his memory is still very much alive among many people in Maranello and around the world: “His talent, his speed, his bravery that bordered on recklessness contribute to his enormous popularity among our fans, even among the younger ones who could only see him through race recordings or read stories about him written by journalists,” explains the Scuderia on its official website.

The Italian team has naturally decided to honor the memory of the Saint-Jean-de-Richilieu native by bringing together the names of Ferrari and Villeneuve in their natural environment: a race track. Thus, on May 8th, at the Fiorano circuit, Jacques Villeneuve will take the wheel of the Ferrari 312 T4 driven by his late father in 1979, an opportunity to commemorate the memory of a man who held and will always hold a place of honor in Ferrari’s history.

Except for his first race, contested on behalf of McLaren in 1977, the Canadian defended the colors of the Scuderia for almost his entire career, which represents 66 Grand Prix starts, including 6 wins, 2 pole positions, and 13 podiums.