When I was in Maranello yesterday for the Mille Miglia race, I couldn’t help but
take note of one of the town’s tourist attractions in particular. The bronze
Gilles Villeneuve bust, situated on the street that bares his name, was once
again sporting a new look. Gone were the massive potted flowers that adorned
the monument less than two weeks ago for the celebrations which marked 30 years
since the little French Canadian died in a horrific accident during the Belgian
Grand Prix weekend and a large Banner had been placed beneath the memorial, “Ciao Gilles” it read simply.
Italians have constantly impressed me with their knowledge
and enthusiasm for motorsports since I arrived in this country less than one
year ago. In fact, I remember once being told that I could not possibly hope to
understand Ferrari until I had lived in
Italy. While it is true that many
tifosi are only partial fans at best, it
was upon the anniversary of Gilles Villeneuve’s death that I came to see the
true passion that many Italians have for Ferrari and its drivers. I also came
to see that Gilles was loved in
Italy
possibly more than any other driver to have donned the famous scarlet overalls.
In the week running up to May 8th, every major
sporting newspaper and magazine ran at least one article dedicated to
Villeneuve and his legacy. The Gazetta
dello Sport even sold a large book dedicated to the former Ferrari driver,
filled with pictures detailing his life and career. People who I spoke with
about the anniversary all knew the legend of Gilles Villeneuve. “He was the
pilot who Enzo loved the most.” One of my neighbours commented upon noticing my
purchase of the above mentioned book. “He loved him like a son.”
Perhaps the most eagerly anticipated event that was held to
mark thirty years without Gilles took place on the day of his death in
Maranello. Villeneuve’s son, Jacques took to Fiorano to drive his father’s
Ferrari 312 T4. When I heard about this tribute, I made it my mission to
attend. I grew up watching Jacques Villeneuve race and I remember being
thirteen and painting a huge mural on my wall to commemorate his 1997 World
Championship. He wasn’t a Ferrari driver, but he was Canadian and to me that
was worth cheering about.
It wasn’t until I began to learn more about the history of
Formula 1 that I truly first encountered the story of his father, Gilles. I
think that I have already written about my admiration for Villeneuve, who is
remembered for his passion, his speed and his courage. He died before I was
born and yet I have seen the videos of him working his magic behind the wheel
of various cars and came to identify with him as I identify with Ferrari.
Gilles Villeneuve was not simply a driver, no, he was a driver who embodied the
very things that I love about the prancing horse itself and the qualities which
drew me in and made me a life long fan of this inspirational team. It helped,
of course, that Gilles was also a Canadian but had he been from Romania, I
think that I would have still come to idolize him.
On the day of the tribute I was surprised to find Maranello
bustling with people and not just any people, but true
tifosi. These spectators were genuine fans with genuine memories. A
few of them donned Gilles memorabilia and many more toted around various copies
of magazines and spoke fondly of what Gilles Villeneuve had meant to them. The
atmosphere was calm and relaxed and when, at approximately 10:30am, Jacques
Villeneuve began his tribute, the knowledgeable crowd watched in awe.
It was the perfect day to be Canadian in Maranello and once
the Italians nearby me detected my accent, they were full of questions about
what
Canada is like and if
Canadians still think of Gilles as they do in
Italy. Interestingly enough,
although Gilles Villeneuve is far from forgotten in
Montreal (they named the Formula 1 circuit
after him.) I do think that the Italians really adopted him as one of their own
and took him into their hearts in a way that the average Canadian has not. It
was lovely to see the real emotion displayed from those in attendance.
After the handful of laps, I joined a group of fans outside
the gates of Fiorano, hoping to catch a glimpse of some of the Ferrari
celebrities in attendance and hopefully Jacques Villeneuve himself. My
expectations were more than met when the gates opened and out came Luca di
Montezemolo in his silver Ferrari. The car rolled along slowly as people shoved
magazines and pieces of paper into the car’s passenger seat window, where
Montezemolo was sitting. “Luca, I’m Canadian!” I shouted in Italian without
really thinking about it. The moment the words left my mouth, it seemed as
though the world froze and Luca di Montezemolo himself leaned forward in his
chair to greet me personally and thanked me for coming.
After my brush with the Ferrari president, I didn’t really
expect to see many more things, but the celebrities kept pouring out of the
Fiorano gates. Fernando Alonso made a mad dash out the alternative exit to the
circuit in his car, much to the crowd’s great displeasure. When the next
vehicle attempted to leave Fiorano, the congregated
tifosi refused to make way. “Go the other way!” one cheeky fan
exclaimed in Italian to roars of laughter. “It was good enough for Alonso!”
Mauro Forghieri, who was technical director during Gilles Villeneuve’s time at
Ferrari, also experienced humorous crowd problems of his own. As the Italian
attempted to sign autographs, the car behind him began honking at the swarmed
Forghieri, who laughed at the joke.
All those in attendance were in a fantastic mood and as
Gilles’s former mechanics left the facility, the
tifosi erupted into applause, acknowledging the service that the
men had given Ferrari. The crowd was in fact so respectful, that the team
treated us to a special viewing and photo session with the car as it was taken
back to the factory, with several of us crossing the forbidden threshold,
beyond the gates of Fiorano, for and unforgettable few minutes!
After several hours of stories and laughs with the fans
around me, finally the Villeneuve family and their entourage came into view.
Melanie Villeneuve, Gilles’s daughter, was the first to greet the crowd with a
warm smile and friendly wave. Her mother, Joann walked a few feet behind her,
chatting happily with friends. Both women embraced the crowd immediately and
spoke in Italian. I was fortunate enough to speak with both of them, who were
shocked to discover that I too am Canadian. Melanie in particular was
especially down to earth and it was a joy to hear a Canadian accent for the
first time in almost a year!
Suddenly the focus of the crowd shifted when a flashy yellow
Ferrari, containing 1997 World Champion Jacques Villeneuve in it, approached
the exit. I managed to exchange only the briefest few words with him before the
fans climbed all over his car…literally. “Is it always like this?” I asked
Melanie Villeneuve as she watched her brother get mauled by the
tifosi. “Yes.” She replied, while
glancing at her mother.
As the cars containing Jacques Villeneuve, Melanie
Villeneuve and their mother, Joann made their way out the Fiorano gates, well
wishers approached Joann in particular and began to tell Gilles’s widow how
much her late husband had meant to them. Obviously touched by their words, both
Joann and Melanie seemed to really appreciate the love that the fans still have
for Gilles Villeneuve.
As her car was about to disappear from view, Melanie
Villeneuve greeted me one last time. She gave me the thumbs up and exclaimed
“Go Canada!” while beaming broadly. I like to think that if Gilles could see
the way that he was remembered, he would have been extremely proud. For me, it
was a very special day in Maranello that I will not likely forget anytime soon.
