02 March 2023
The Villeneuve clan are well-known in racing circles; Gilles scored his first Grand Prix win late in 1978 on home ground at Montreal. Later the track was named after him.
Gilles’ younger brother, Jacques, competed in F1, unfortunately, without success.
In 1996, Gilles’s son, also called Jacques, began his Formula One career, during which he became the only Canadian to win the Formula One World Championship in 1997.
Jacques Villeneuve, 51, will try to achieve what he considers to be racing’s Triple Crown by adding a 24 Hours of Le Mans win to his Indianapolis 500 victory and F1 driver’s championship.
Graham Hill is the only driver to achieve the Triple Crown, generally considered Le Mans, the Indy 500, and the Monaco Grand Prix.
Fernando Alonso is the most recent driver to attempt the feat, having won Le Mans and the Monaco Grand Prix but sadly failed despite his three attempts at the Indy 500.
Jacques will join the Floyd Vanwall Racing Team, driving number 4 in a Vanwall Vandervell.
He raced at Le Mans previously, in 2008, driving a Peugeot 908 HDI-FAP, achieving second place.
Good luck, Gilles; you deserve it!
