Formula One Pays Tribute to Late Hero Villeneuve

Ferrari marked the 20th anniversary of the death of Canadian Gilles Villeneuve on Wednesday and Formula One fans paid tribute at the Belgian circuit where he was killed.

"Villeneuve was one of the major players in the sporting history of our company," said Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo of a man who competed in all but one of his 67 races for Ferrari and claimed six victories.

"I recall he was gifted with courage which seemed to have no limit. His sporting achievements and his approach to life away from the race track endeared him, not only to Ferrari supporters, but also to all motorsport fans.

"We will never forget him."

Villeneuve, father of 1997 World Champion Jacques, was killed in qualifying for the 1982 Belgian Grand Prix at Zolder when he was flung from his shattered Ferrari after it hit a March driven by German Jochen Mass. He was 32, one year older than Jacques is now.

Villeneuve was revered by Formula One fans for his spectacular and at times reckless driving. He was a favourite of team founder Enzo Ferrari, who compared him admiringly with Italian pre-war great Tazio Nuvolari.

"He had an incredible natural talent but also a trait that was both an advantage and a flaw: He loved absolute speed," former Ferrari technical director Mauro Forghieri told the Gazzetta dello Sport's website.

The Italian paper devoted an entire page to Villeneuve, describing him in a headline as "Gilles, the legend who transcends time."

In Belgium, a local Ferrari club unveiled a marble plaque in his memory at the curve where Villeneuve died and that now carries his name. The circuit is no longer used for World Championship races.

Giulio Giulietti, secretary of the Ghent Ferrari club, was quoted in the Gazzetta as saying there were also plans to erect a statue in the paddock at Zolder to replace the memorial removed during rebuilding works.

Mass, who retired at the end of the 1982 season, recalled in Germany's Auto Bild magazine how much the accident at the Belgian track had haunted him.

"My fatal collision with Gilles Villeneuve was one of the reasons why shortly afterwards I left Formula One," he said. "The accident upset me more than any other because of his children.

"Although I don't feel guilty, I do feel a share of the blame. It was after all an error by Gilles and me."