Two cool dudes that were lost too soon: Peter Revson and Francois Cevert. Image Unavailable, Please Login
How gorgeous is Jim Clark’s Lotus! All the basics of a perfect race car. Wheels Chassis Body and a fantastic engine No overly expensive aeroeffects, no halo, magnificent sound. We all miss the drivers and their machines. Cheers
Surely if you think he was overrated then you do have something against him? Personally speaking I loved Gilles, and still do! - He was a true racer with a "never say die" attitude: These days it only takes a mirror glass to drop down slightly for the drivers to decide they can't continue! One way or another, he was the most entertaining driver of his time! As I have often said: "Gilles Villeneuve: Too young to die! - Too fast to live!"
As Frank Williams said at the end of the 79 season, even if he wasn't a fan of the Villeneuve aproach , Gilles did more for f.1 that season than everyone else together!!!
Giles and Vittorio Brambilla were the only ones to go out for early Saturday practice at the Glen in 1979. We watched him drift through the puddles. I think he went out just for the fun of it.
Gilles gave the cold and soggy fans something to cheer about. I was standing at the entrance to the pits when he pulled in, he revved the 312 and the crowd loved it. He made more than a few fans that day.
Image Unavailable, Please Login Two greats before they started their own championship teams. One lost way too soon. Bruce McLaren and Jack Brabham
Oh. I forgot. 'Meant to add in last post. Being a Lotus fan, how could I have forgotten another lost too soon. Graham. http://hear-the-boat-sing.blogspot.com/2014/05/graham-hill-english-gentleman-oarsman.html
Errrggghhhh. This is getting scary!!! How in bloody heck did I fergit my screennamesake??? The '67 Monaco GP on Wide World of Sports was what got this youngster (at the time...) hooked on F1 (not the crash of course) As ABC's live coverage of '65 Le Mans did me for endurance/sportscar racing.
As much as I respect his showmanship, if one can't win a race (more would be better), let alone a championship, I can not...nay...will not...rate one highly. That's all I have to say about that.
Villeneuve won 6 times. He also backed Scheckter in 79, when he easily could have won the title instead. He was a Ferrari man. He thought he was next to the title after Scheckter. Pironi had other ideas.
Egads. Now I'm really gettin' worried. I know he won. 'Don't know what I was t'inkin' when I posted. ('Still think he was overrated tho'.... )
And it would bave been 8 but for the treachery of Pironi in Imola in 1982. The fact that he won any races in the 1981 Ferrari demonstrated his exceptional talent.
Some staTS 67 races + 2 non championship races 6 wins (8.96 %) +1 non championship win 2 pole positions (2.99 %) 8 fastests laps (11.94 %) 13 podiums (19.40 %) 30 retirements (44.78 %) Now if you consider just the 39 races he finished you get 18.9% of victories...not bad if you think he never drove the fastest car!
Gilles' problem is that he often let his desire overtake his ability (which was considerable). He usually drove on the absolute edge of control, and sometimes went over the edge.
