Joseph Gilles Henri Villeneuve (January 18, 1950 – May 8, 1982) was a globe-an expert Formula One racing driver.

Villeneuve was natural in the village of Berthierville, Quebec, Canada. His 1st Formula A single wwithin come in his native province in the 1978 Canadian Grand Prix, held in Montreal. 100% told within his short career, he won six Grand Prix races. Within 1979 he finished 2nd by little joe points in the championship to mate Jody Scheckter.

Remembered for his frenzied style which seemed extrthe prefer that of a rally driver, his wheel-banging duel by having René Arnoux inside a last laps of a 1979 French Grand Prix at the Dijon circuit was Of these of the virtually all acute moments in Formula One racing. Despite this, his sixer Gr& Prix wins represent a few of the virtually all tactically sharp and mechanically sensitive in the history of the sport. Mayhap his greatest accomplishment come within 1981, where he wrestled an unmanageable turbo Ferrari to victory at Monaco, followed by a classic of defensive attitude camping at a Spanish Gr& Prix, keeping Pentad promptly cars behind him utilizing his tactical acumen and a superior straightline speed of his car.

Villeneuve went into 1982 the clear favorite for the crown. He was widely take to be a better Formula One driver in the field, and Ferrari, after ii years of mediocre cars, produced an fantabulous project. Fallowing glimpses of promise in a opening races, Villeneuve was back at the front for the San Marino Grand Prix, only for his team-mate Didier Pironi to disobey team orders and beat him to the line. Betrayed & angry, Villeneuve vowed never to speak to Pironi once more. Tragedy smitten at a next race on the calendar. In May 8, 1982, on his final qualifying lap for the Belgian Grand Prix at Zolder, the front left wheel of his car inherit email by using the right rearward wheel of Jochen Mass's car, which was on the slow 'within' lap. Villeneuve's car was launched into a air prior to nose-diving into a ground & flip along a side of the track. A violence of a accident reduced a car to its cockpit, the inflict ripping Villeneuve's seat from either a back of the monocoque. Good prior to a car landed for a final period, Villeneuve, however strapped to his seat, was discarded into a catch fencing at the more side of the track. Whilst a medical team arrived, he was non ventilation. He died shortly thenceforth within hospital. Mercifully, his calamitous injuries were probably from either a inflict of his car landing first fallowing a initial impact.

His outstanding camping is however considered an art form among Formula A single fans. He is however remembered at Grand Prix races, specially victims within Italy.

A racecourse in Îlupus erythematosus Notre-Dame, Montreal, used for the Molson Indy and Grand Prix du Canada, was renamed in his honour at a American Grand Prix of 1982 when his dying. Sadly, initially of that race Riccardo Paletti died when crashing by having a stalled Ferrari of Didier Pironi.

Touching the race track there exists likewise a museum inside his honour.

"I know no human being can do miracles but Gilles could really surprise us sometimes." - Jacques Laffite, 1982 -

Gilles was inducted into a Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame [http://www.cmhf.ca] at their inaugaural induction ceremony at the Four Seasons Hotel, Toronto, Ontario, August 19, 1993.

His brother Jacques Villeneuve (elder), known as "uncle Jacques", likewise got the super successful racing career winning championships in the Formula Atlantic & May Am series when well as becoming the 1st American to win a race in the CART series. "Uncle" Jacques was inducted into a American Motorsport Hall of Fame inside 2001.

Around June 1997, Canadthe issued a postage stamp in honor of its favorite racing boy.

His boy, Jacques, also experienced a successful racing career winning the Indianapolis 500 and CART championships in 1995. He so followed around his father's footsteps & jowithwithinside a Formula Of these circuit in 1996 in which he got pole position in his 1st race, winning the World Championship in 1997.