Villeneuve’s three wishes

Mid-1977, rumours circulated that this promising Canadian, Gilles Villeneuve, pictured here-above at Dijon in 1979, was one of several drivers in whom Ferrari was interested, and in August he flew to Italy to meet Enzo Ferrari, who was immediately reminded of Tazio Nuvolari, the pre-war European champion.

“When they presented me with this ‘piccolo Canadese’ (little Canadian), this minuscule bundle of nerves, I immediately recognised in him the physique of Nuvolari and said to myself, let’s give him a try.” -Enzo Ferrari

Ferrari was satisfied with Villeneuve’s promise after a session at Ferrari’s Fiorano, despite the Canadian making many mistakes, and Villeneuve signed to drive for Ferrari in the last two races of 1977, picture below in Japan, as well as the full 1978 season.

Villeneuve later remarked that: “If someone said to me that you can have three wishes, my first would have been to go into racing, my second to be in Formula 1, my third to drive for Ferrari…”