Gilles Villeneuve would have celebrated his 73rd birthday

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In 1978, a new life began for Gilles, who became a full-fledged Grand Prix driver, and what's more, within the most prestigious team. Running stops being a game and becomes work. This will not change his character or his way of living. Preferring to avoid the pressure of the fans, he settled near Cannes, on the advice of his friend Tambay. The setting, climate and language also made Gilles opt for the French Riviera. On the circuits, he will continue to live with his family in a motor home, as he has always done. He will also bring his Ford Bronco 4×4 to France, to have fun in the backcountry. In terms of physical condition, Gilles limits himself to a little jogging, believing that the best training is driving. He also works on his vision with the help of an ophthalmologist. It is with the 312 T2 that the Team began the 1978 season in South America, under the direction of engineers Mauro Forghieri and Antonio Tomaini. This conservative choice is all the more justified as the Italian team moved from Goodyear to Michelin.

Gilles Villeneuve became at home, at the Montreal Grand Prix, the first Canadian to win in F1 © DPPI

Having introduced the principle of the radial tire in F1 with Renault, the Clermont-based manufacturer still lacks experience at this level and this will be felt at the Argentine GP, where a choice of tires that are too hard will handicap the Ferrari drivers, who will have to make do with the 7^e and 8^e places. Although he is beaten by Carlos Reutemann, Gilles is relieved to have finally finished a Grand Prix in red. As for the best lap attributed to him, some of the press claimed that it was a blunder by the timekeepers. Michelin quickly learns from its mistakes, and thanks to Reutemann, wins its first success in Brazil, on the new Rio circuit. The same cannot be said of Villeneuve, who clashed once again with Ronnie Peterson, before going off the road. The T3 appeared at Kyalami and Gilles immediately felt more comfortable at the wheel, to the point of ahead of his teammate for the first time during testing. Unfortunately, the Ferraris were betrayed by their tires, an engine failure ending the Canadian's race.

Villeneuve in the lead at Long Beach

In the war between Goodyear and Michelin, each takes the advantage in turn, because in Long Beach, Reutemann and Villeneuve qualify on the front line. Taking advantage of a disorderly attack by John Marshall Watson on Reutemann at the start, Gilles took command. After the retirement of the Brabham-Alfas of John Marshall Watson and Niki Lauda, ​​Reutemann finds himself 2^e behind his teammate, but the duel will not take place, because at 39^e lap, Gilles hits the rail while trying to take a ride from Clay Regazzoni. Forced to abandon, he leaves the victory to his leader. Despite this collision put down to inexperience, the results are not negative for Gilles, since for the first time, he led a Grand Prix after starting from the front row. The fact remains that he has still not opened his points counter, while his teammate leads the championship. Even Enzo Ferrari is starting to get impatient: “ Mr. Villeneuve, Ferraris are used to crossing the finish line », he asserts to his protégé, who is not doing well when he arrives in Monaco. However, it is not in the Principality that things will get better. Ahead of his teammate by more than a second on this circuit that he is discovering, Gilles comes up from 8^e the 4^e place thanks to abandonments when his car escapes him in the tunnel. The impact with the rail was so violent that the two left wheels of his T3 were torn off. A tire explosion, the official version says, but convinced that the Canadian gave in under Lauda's pressure, the Italian press went wild.

First points in Zolder

It's only at his 8^e Grand Prix with Ferrari (9^e of his career) that Villeneuve will silence the critics by scoring his first points, and it is in Zolder that the event takes place. Emerging from the 2^e line, he seizes the 2^e place behind Mario Andretti, who started the Lotus 79. If the ground effect car proved untouchable, Gilles seemed well on his way to finishing on the podium when his left front tire burst while braking. After returning to his stand in slow motion, he leaves 6^e and concludes 4^e after overtaking Patrick Depailler. This is the moment when Michelin will experience a slump. Forced to change tires, Gilles ranks 10^e in Jarama, 9^e in Anderstorp and 12^e at Paul Ricard. At least he has just completed four races in a row, which confirms his progress. The collaboration with Reutemann is going well and he feels better accepted within the Scuderia as in the F1 world. For its part, Bibendum will raise the bar at Brands Hatch, allowing Reutemann to achieve his third success, while Gilles is the victim of his transmission. After an 8^e place at Hockenheim, his future at Maranello remains uncertain, because he still only has three points to claim against... three victories for his teammate.

Gilles Villeneuve became the first Canadian to win in F1 at home, at the Montreal Grand Prix © DPPI

As the arrival of Jody Scheckter becomes clearer, Gilles will find the opening at the opportune moment, in the Zeltweg rain. Twelfth when the race was stopped after seven laps, he exploited the wet track to take the lead in the second part, being the last to mount Slicks on a drying track. Starting behind Peterson's Lotus and overtaken by Depailler's Tyrrell, the Canadian will be classified 3^e, thus obtaining his first podium. At Zandvoort, the Ferraris were once again struggling with their tires, with Gilles still snatching the point for 6^e place in front of his teammate. After the unfortunate episode at Monza (see Failure), he was eliminated by an engine failure at Watkins Glen, where Reutemann won his 4^e success of the season.

Gilles Villeneuve, national hero

All that remains is the Canadian GP, ​​which takes place for the first time in Montreal, in the presence of many dignitaries suddenly interested in F1. Gilles is not for nothing and he is in great demand in the days preceding the Grand Prix. He who has no taste for worldly affairs can't wait to find himself alone in his cockpit. Third fastest in practice, he was disappointed not to have offered pole position to the 70 spectators present on Notre-Dame Island, despite the freezing cold. It was Jean-Pierre Jarier, Peterson's replacement at Lotus, who set the best time. The Frenchman took command ahead of Scheckter, Alan Jones and Villeneuve, before escaping in the lead. After sparing his brakes and tires in the first laps, Gilles went on the offensive. Jones is doubled at 000^e turn, Scheckter at 25^e. The public exults, but his favorite can only hope for a miracle, because Jarier continues to widen the gap, bringing his lead to more than 30”. Alas for the Frenchman, an oil leak occurs at the back of his Lotus. At 45^e After 70 laps, Jarier gave up and Villeneuve inherited command, under the eyes of a trance-filled public. Unfazed by the historic significance of the event, he became the first Canadian to win a Grand Prix, beating the Wolf of his future teammate Jody Scheckter. Incidentally, he concludes with an honorable 9^e place in the world championship. Gilles would have preferred to win in a more glorious way, but now is not the time to be choosy, when he has become the hero of an entire people. In Maranello, an old man is jubilant: Enzo Ferrari has won his bet and sent “authorized circles” back to their peremptory judgments.

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