Villeneuve Pironi: Racing's Untold Tragedy
Discussion
UK premiere at the Glasgow Film Festival 5 March 2023
Sky Documentaries 19 March 2023
Featuring: Joann Villeneuve, Melanie Villeneuve, Jacques Villeneuve, Catherine Goux, and twin sons Didier Pironi and Gilles Pironi - latter is now an engineer at Merc F1 team and was on the podium at the 2020 British Grand Prix.
Derek Smith said:
What's 'untold' about it? There was a hell of a lot of coverage back in the day. It seemed the 'betrayal' wasn't quite that. So much hype over the San Marino race.
No doubt it's a hook to draw viewers and further appreciations and respect for history of our sport. Perhaps it might put to bed what the 'SLOW' pit signal really meant...LukeBrown66 said:
As for the race, it was a farce, Renault dropped out, Ferrari were left there, and boards came out, for lap after lap,
It was indeed a FIASCO.The film missed out on the context of the 1982 season. It was the height of the FISA-FOCA war and only half the of the entry field turned up at Imola and most of the FOCA teams stayed away.
GV and DP were battling for position for from start to finish, passed and repassed each other every other lap.
When the last laps played out some thought GV and DP were putting on a show. I think Gilles, for a while, assumed it as well.
If you watch the BBC highlights (easily found on the interweb) there's no mention of a bitter intra-team rivalry brewing. James Hunt thought it was a great race and post-race chat centred on macro F1 politics.
cgt2 said:
I've wondered for 40 years was how the old man reacted to Imola
I think he would have revelled in it. He has history of agitating and playing his own drivers against each other. LukeBrown66 said:
They certainly did not pass and repass every other lap.
once the Renaults went the boards were given out to Gilles who was leading to slow, Gilles did so.
the only thing he did wrong all day was the mistake at Rivazza when he ran wide to be fair.
Didier went through, and started to push, again against what teh team had said.
Gilles passed him again, slowed the pace down by seconds a lap, the crowd had their fun, etc etc.
Then Didier did him on the last lap and that was it. You only has to see the look on his face to know what had happened.
but he was naive obviously, but that was part of his charm clearly.
Gilles and Pironi had an awesome scrap between themselves and Arnoux in the fast half of the race.once the Renaults went the boards were given out to Gilles who was leading to slow, Gilles did so.
the only thing he did wrong all day was the mistake at Rivazza when he ran wide to be fair.
Didier went through, and started to push, again against what teh team had said.
Gilles passed him again, slowed the pace down by seconds a lap, the crowd had their fun, etc etc.
Then Didier did him on the last lap and that was it. You only has to see the look on his face to know what had happened.
but he was naive obviously, but that was part of his charm clearly.
BBC highlights: https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x8b4p9i
Good race report here if you can't access Autosport or Motor Sport: https://f1since81.wordpress.com/2014/10/30/1982-sa...
DeejRC said:
GV being naive was never part of his charm, it was purely and simply his need and ability to drive racing cars at ridiculous angles. Don’t forget, or rather try not to impose modern “stuff” back on the 70s and 80s. You didn’t know him, you had no idea about his personality or quirks, you only knew him as the driver inside a car. That was his entire existence in the context of us “knowing” him. Yes, I’ve got all the back copies of Motor Sport and Auto Sport back at home, have read them all religiously etc and spent most of the 80s and 90s thinking Nigel Roebuck as a God. In fact I’d say that the only reason any of us ever “knew” something about the human as opposed to the driver was because of Roebucks articles each week.
Gilles' hair raising exploits off-track were just as legendary recounted by peers and journalists such as racing from Monaco to Maranello and back again and then there was his helicopter... even Jacques has said they are his best memories which can sound uncomfortable after Colin McRae's tarnished legacy. Different times and different attitudes.I grew up in the 90s with Roebuck and Michael Turner books in the library. Gilles was was before my time and to me he was reckless. Never got the hero worship; I got into motorsport all by myself and nobody literally told me how good Gilles was and there was no Youtube then to view his artistry behind the wheel.
LukeBrown66 said:
Apparently he had signed for someone or been very close to it before his crash, obviously pushed by what happened.
I think maybe McLaren or Renault, I cannot remember
There were rumours he was already signed to McLaren but I think it was Marlboro rep John Hogan confirming they were still only informal talks stage.I think maybe McLaren or Renault, I cannot remember
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