“Gilles was a fair and honest driver”

Picture above: Canadian Ferrari driver Gilles Villeneuve and his wife Joann, at the Canadian Grand Prix in 1981. Always at his side, she once said: “Gilles was ruthless as a driver but on track he was very conscious of the dangers. He was a fair and honest driver, everyone saw that with Arnoux in Dijon.” (picture below). 

We all remember the now legendary battle that opposed him to René Arnoux (Renault) at Dijon in ’79 for second place, where the two furious but correct drivers passed each other many times in spectacular fashion in the closing stages of the race won by Jabouille (Renault).