Formula 1: 5 times Gilles Villeneuve was the ideal entertainer of F1

Let’s take a look at the key moments which Gilles Villeneuve made on track that made him the ideal entertainer of Formula 1.

Gilles Villeneuve was many things during his time in Formula 1, from daredevil, to winner, to an entertainer. Some would add mad-man into that list as well.

But on the 38th anniversary of his passing, instead of focusing on the parts of Villeneuve’s career that have already been well publicized, let’s take a look on the things he pulled off which provided the fans with the entertainment they wanted.

I’m sure you can guess the first one…

The tricycle Ferrari 312T4 at Zandvoort

I mean, did you really think anything else was going to start this off? The clip of this is so good. In fact, it’s so good that there is not a single word to describe how good it really is.

There are many things about this incident that make it so entertaining. We will start at the beginning. So, the camera has panned to Gilles Villeneuve in the dirt at Tarzan. His left rear wheel is in pieces as the people watching begin to wonder if he will stop the car then and there.

But then greatness happens. I am sure the other drivers thanked him for all the mud he launched onto the track as he reversed his way back, but that was not on the French Canadian’s mind in the moment, as he needed to get his car back to the pits.

A normal driver in this position would proceed slowly to make sure that no further damage occurred to the rear of the car, but we are not talking about a normal driver. Villeneuve approached turn two at a higher speed then you would expect, considering his position. He drifted around the corner and nailed the exit. This supreme car control continued throughout the rest of the lap.

Fast forward a few corners and he is now at the top of the circuit with the rear left wheel of his Ferrari hanging on in his mirrors, literally. Everyone can see the damage, but what does Villeneuve do? He guns it; of course he does.

The Ferrari travels at a rate of knots on three wheels, with the front right tire bouncing on and off the ground — a Ferrari wheelie, if you will. While gunning it down the straight, Villeneuve had his arm in the air alerting the people that he has a problem — like they couldn’t see it — while controlling an out of control beast. It is honestly the greatest bit of footage in Formula 1 history.