Former driver and 1997 Formula 1 champion Jacques Villeneuve spoke about how the category changed after the tragic deaths of his father, Gilles Villeneuve, and Ayrton Senna. The Canadian said he had ‘difficulty thinking of anything bad about F1’, but acknowledged the impact of these accidents.
Jacques Villeneuve followed in his father’s footsteps and raced in Formula 1 between 1996 and 2006, making 163 starts and 11 victories. His peak was the 1997 title with Williams.
In an interview with Casino Online IN, Villeneuve spoke about Senna’s death at the San Marino GP in 1994, highlighting the improvements in safety in the category after the tragedy involving the Brazilian, 30 years ago. He also commented on his grief over the loss of his father at the Belgian GP in 1982.
The death of three-time champion Senna shook Formula 1. Villeneuve recognized the Brazilian’s importance to the sport. “Formula 1 lost a lot, especially with the value he brought,” said the Canadian.
“He was super talented, super fast and would probably have put on incredible fights with other drivers for many years to come. Senna was passionate about racing. He has become an almost mythical figure. Any driver who dies in command of the car keeps his place in history much longer than some champions,” he added.
Senna’s death was not the only one that shocked Formula 1. Twelve years earlier, Gilles Villeneuve also lost his life in an accident, after colliding with Jochen Mass in the qualifying session in Belgium. Jacques confessed to having difficulty thinking about this episode.
“The weekend of Senna’s death was probably the one that hurt the most because that was when there was the greatest human damage. But for me, the worst weekend was my father’s death. So I have a hard time thinking about it. But Senna’s death marked the beginning of modern F1. The mindset regarding death and injury has changed compared to the 1970s and 1980s.”
Villeneuve also said that that tragic weekend at Imola, where in addition to Senna in the GP, Roland Ratzenberger also died in the qualifying session on Saturday, and Rubens Barrichello almost lost his life in free practice on Friday, was the catalyst for change of safety in Formula 1. “It was a start. Back then, you were happy to finish the season without breaking anything. And glad he didn’t die. These days you’d be surprised if you broke a finger! It’s how safe the cars are, and without losing speed”, concluded the former Canadian driver.
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