In 1996, the unnamed Formula 1 driver raced against Gilles Villeneuve’s son, Jacques. The driver said he was upset after reading newspaper comments attributed to Jacques about his father and Gilles Villeneuve’s legacy.
The two later shared a flight from Estoril to Nice after a test session in Portugal. Jacques’ manager had asked whether the driver could give him a lift because he was flying to the south of France.
During the flight, the driver confronted Jacques about his comments and reminded him of his connection to the legendary Canadian racer.
“Jacques, never ever say something like that about your father again. If you are here, it’s because of your talent, it’s because of your passion, whatever – but you are the son of Gilles Villeneuve, the hero of the heroes.”
The driver said he was angry at the time. Jacques replied that his comments had not expressed what he really wanted to say.
He also acknowledged that losing his father as a child must have been difficult for Jacques, leaving him with an enduring sense of pain.
