Villeneuve Pironi tells the astonishing story of Canadian Formula 1 legend Gilles Villeneuve and French star Didier Pironi, two fearless Ferrari Formula 1 racing drivers, forever torn apart by a historic and hugely controversial moment in time.
The new decade brought a record number of entries for the start of the season. Expectations were high that the champions of 1979, Ferrari and Jody Scheckter, could be beaten. Enter Team Williams and Alan Jones - the new force in a bright new era for Formula One racing. But it took the entire 1980 season before the victory was in the bag. Jones took the opening race, but then faltered. Brabham’s Nelson Piquet took advantage in the interim, completing a spectacular double in the Dutch and US GPs to lead the championship with two races remaining. It was up to Williams and Jones to pull out all the stops to seize the title.
1977 saw Niki Lauda start the season, scarred but fit. And determined to put his horrific accident in '76 behind him. Despite Lauda's poor start and total of only 3 wins for the season, he picked up points at all but three GPs, and was rewarded for his consistency with his second championship victory. Lauda chose not to complete the season, and instead, Ferrari gave the drive to a young and ambitious Gilles Villeneuve.
Gilles Villeneuve was a Canadian Formula 1 driver, born on January 18, 1950, in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec, Canada. Known for his aggressive and spectacular driving style, he became one of the most charismatic drivers in motorsport history. He raced for Ferrari from 1977 to 1982, securing six victories and becoming an icon of the Italian team. He tragically passed away on May 8, 1982, in Zolder, Belgium, during qualifying for the Belgian Grand Prix.
By browsing this website, you accept our cookies policy.