In the 1981 Grand Prix, the Canadian secured his final victory on the circuit before passing away in an accident.
This weekend, the Spanish Grand Prix of Formula 1 will take place at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. However, more than 40 years ago, one of the most emotional races ever held on Spanish soil occurred, ultimately won by the Canadian driver Gilles Villeneuve.
Villeneuve was not one of the main candidates for victory, starting from seventh position on the grid. However, an excellent move at the start immediately propelled him to third place, putting him in contention for the win.
Moreover, before the end of the first lap of the Spanish GP, he overtook the Argentine Carlos Reutemann to position himself second, leaving him behind only the Australian Alan Jones. Jones had started second but had already passed Jacques Laffite, one of the drivers who would feature in an exciting finish alongside the Canadian.
On lap 14 of the 80 at the Jarama Circuit, Villeneuve took the lead and never relinquished the top position. However, for the rest of the race, he had to fend off constant attempts from his pursuers trying to overtake him.
The Ferrari driver crossed the finish line first, winning the Spanish GP without knowing it would be his last victory in Formula 1. Behind him were Jacques Laffite of Ligier-Matra (+0.211) and John Watson of McLaren-Ford (+0.571), completing the podium, while the Argentine Reutemann finished fourth (+1.011).
Gilles Villeneuve passed away a year later due to an accident at 230 km/h caused by a collision with Jochen Mass’s March car during qualifying for the 1982 Belgian Grand Prix in Zolder. He left behind a significant legacy in the circuit that bid farewell to him at just 32 years old. His son, Jacques, became the Formula 1 champion in 1997 and is the only Canadian driver to win the championship in history.
