Villeneuve Pironi: Racing's Untold Tragedy

David Croft, Karun Chandhok and Damon Hill preview Saturday’s release of ‘Villeneuve Pironi: Racing's Untold Tragedy’. The documentary looks into the story of how Gilles Villeneuve and Didier Pironi were torn apart by an historic and controversial moment in Formula One history.

**Villeneuve and Pironi: A Tragic Tale of Friendship and Rivalry**

In the upcoming documentary, "Villeneuve Pironi: Racing's Untold Tragedy," the story of two exceptionally talented Formula One drivers, Gilles Villeneuve and Didier Pironi, is explored. Their friendship and rivalry are examined through the lens of a historic and controversial moment in the sport's history.

The film delves into the events of the 1982 San Marino Grand Prix, where the relationship between Villeneuve and Pironi fractured. The incident left a lasting impact on both drivers and ultimately contributed to Villeneuve's tragic accident later that season.

Through interviews with family members, former teammates, and key figures in the sport, the documentary provides a comprehensive and emotional account of the drivers' lives and careers. It sheds light on the intense competition, politics, and personal struggles that shaped their destinies.

The film also offers a glimpse into the world of Formula One in the early 1980s, highlighting the risks and sacrifices that drivers made in pursuit of victory. It serves as a reminder of the human cost of this high-stakes sport and the lasting impact of tragedy on the lives of those involved.

Despite the tragic nature of the story, the documentary celebrates the remarkable talent and passion of Villeneuve and Pironi. It is a poignant tribute to two drivers who left an indelible mark on Formula One history, forever remembered for their fierce rivalry and the enduring legacy they left behind.

[00:00.000 -> 00:07.840] Hello everyone, today we've got something a little different for you, available from
[00:07.840 -> 00:12.320] this Saturday directly after qualifying on SkySports F1. We're going to be showing you
[00:12.320 -> 00:18.120] a brand new documentary, Villeneuve-Pironi Racing's Untold Tragedy. Now you may well
[00:18.120 -> 00:22.600] know their names, Gilles Villeneuve and Didier Pironi, but you might not know this astonishing
[00:22.600 -> 00:25.680] true story of two exceptionally gifted drivers
[00:25.680 -> 00:30.480] who were torn apart by a historic and controversial moment in Formula One. And to tell you a little
[00:30.480 -> 00:35.280] bit more about the film, here is David Croft, Karun Chandhok and Damon Hill. Enjoy.
[00:35.840 -> 00:39.840] Well, here we are in the paddock in Saudi Arabia, a few days since we saw the film,
[00:39.840 -> 00:44.800] Damon and Karun. And other than Champ getting the sweets and the popcorn in,
[00:44.800 -> 00:48.400] what was the highlight for you? Because I love the film and I could go on about this all night.
[00:48.400 -> 00:52.160] Yeah, it feels strange talking about the highlights because it is actually a tragedy.
[00:52.160 -> 00:57.520] It's actually Builder's tragic story and sadly, both those drivers are no longer with us.
[00:57.520 -> 01:03.280] And of course, Gilles' accident was... he as a driver was a legendary driver.
[01:03.280 -> 01:06.640] That's to start with. start point is you know his
[01:06.640 -> 01:13.840] his his pizazz and the way he drove and his lack of fear and he was you know mad fast and all that
[01:13.840 -> 01:20.160] stuff and then he came into a relationship in the team with Ferrari with Didier Pironi and it's the
[01:20.160 -> 01:25.920] story of how that friendship that Bondnely had got badly broken and ultimately
[01:27.120 -> 01:33.040] May have been a part of the of the energy that went into to Jules accident
[01:33.040 -> 01:37.440] So yeah, it's I thought it told the story very well and very sensitively with
[01:38.240 -> 01:40.240] both the widows
[01:40.240 -> 01:46.600] Of both drivers and and the kids who went on in Jack's case, obviously went on to become world champion.
[01:46.600 -> 01:48.360] I don't feel bad saying highlights, Karun,
[01:48.360 -> 01:51.480] because although Damon's right, it is a tragic story.
[01:51.480 -> 01:55.360] The joy, the unbridled joy, that both Gilles and Didier
[01:55.360 -> 01:57.320] got from racing in Formula One,
[01:57.320 -> 01:59.280] shone through the whole film for me,
[01:59.280 -> 02:02.760] right up to the moment of San Marino 1982,
[02:02.760 -> 02:04.520] where, I think the quote was,
[02:04.520 -> 02:05.820] the innocence kind of went
[02:05.820 -> 02:10.500] from Gilles Villeneuve that afternoon. It was a very powerful emotional
[02:10.500 -> 02:15.220] rollercoaster in many ways isn't it because you you know it's it's always a
[02:15.220 -> 02:20.940] bit strange watching those films when we know how it ends I think but that
[02:20.940 -> 02:32.500] journey you go through particularly for me least, it was the first time I heard all of the family, you know, actually speaking about the events of 1982 in particular in such detail.
[02:32.500 -> 02:38.200] And Jacques himself has always been very closed up about talking about his father and he spoke very eloquently on the subject.
[02:38.200 -> 02:46.700] I mean, you were teammates and he never spoke to you about it at the time, Evan, did he? No, it was fascinating to listen to what Jack had to say about his father and admitting
[02:46.700 -> 02:51.500] that in some senses, occasions, he was frightened of his dad.
[02:51.500 -> 02:57.300] His dad was a very direct person, a very honest person and all that was well commented on
[02:57.300 -> 03:01.640] and that came out in the story and also what I thought was interesting was the forgotten
[03:01.640 -> 03:07.340] man, if you like, Didier Perroni in the story who was a proper title contender and
[03:08.160 -> 03:13.880] An insight into the politics of Ferrari and all those ingredients that makes Formula One what it is
[03:14.720 -> 03:16.080] was
[03:16.080 -> 03:18.480] Was actually the value of the story
[03:18.480 -> 03:21.920] I think it showed how people have come to terms with
[03:22.200 -> 03:25.040] What happened and how they've tried to come to terms
[03:25.040 -> 03:27.200] with the nature of the sport they're in.
[03:27.200 -> 03:30.680] It's very difficult to talk about a film without giving too many spoilers away
[03:30.680 -> 03:34.320] and I don't want to do that because I really want every Formula One fan to
[03:34.320 -> 03:39.360] witness this because it is such a beautifully researched piece of movie
[03:39.360 -> 03:43.640] making, of documentary making, but the cast, the characters that they brought
[03:43.640 -> 03:50.160] into this film from the days at Ferrari that you mentioned for people who were in and around the paddock at that time
[03:50.640 -> 03:52.640] Really add such a weight to this
[03:53.160 -> 03:55.160] Well, I mean, you know, Imola
[03:55.480 -> 03:59.680] 1982 for those who you know, don't know the story that's where
[04:00.120 -> 04:03.240] These two drivers their friendship was broken apart
[04:03.240 -> 04:05.240] It was completely disintegrated.
[04:05.240 -> 04:08.000] And actually the reality is they were truly friends,
[04:08.000 -> 04:11.840] despite the fact, you know, Gilles had come from,
[04:11.840 -> 04:13.280] you know, not a lot of money,
[04:13.280 -> 04:15.400] you know, sort of middle class family in Canada,
[04:15.400 -> 04:18.200] made his way to Europe racing for Ferrari now,
[04:18.200 -> 04:21.520] whereas Didier had come from French aristocracy,
[04:21.520 -> 04:24.400] you know, he'd come from a very wealthy French family,
[04:25.760 -> 04:29.520] but they'd found this friendship through motor racing, through their common love of driving and motor racing
[04:29.520 -> 04:35.600] that you mentioned before, and it all unraveled that day in a matter of a few laps in Imola.
[04:36.320 -> 04:42.560] And what is brilliant about the film is that after that race, you know, there was a meeting
[04:43.120 -> 04:47.440] between just five people in the room,, two drivers, Marco Piccinini,
[04:48.240 -> 04:55.600] Maro Fogheri and Piero Ferrari. And we hear from Fogheri and Piccinini, I think, for the first time
[04:55.600 -> 05:01.120] talking about that. And then the events that led to Zolder in two weeks' time and then to
[05:01.120 -> 05:05.240] Hockenheim for Pironi. Yeah, really really powerful stuff.
[05:05.240 -> 05:10.480] For me the star of the show was Enzo Ferrari's PA. She was magnificent.
[05:10.480 -> 05:14.720] She was fantastic. I forgot her name. Because they were her boys. They were her boys. She said this.
[05:14.720 -> 05:20.400] She was funny. I mean she mentioned she was the only woman in a factory of 200
[05:20.400 -> 05:24.840] men or something and she was having a time of her life but she had some
[05:24.840 -> 05:28.460] insights, very direct insights, because she knew what Enzo was
[05:28.460 -> 05:34.020] thinking about the drivers and and how it was you know not how you'd like it to
[05:34.020 -> 05:38.480] be. I have to say as well guys it made me love Gilles Villeneuve even more I'm
[05:38.480 -> 05:42.180] not sure that was actually possible but before I actually went into the cinema
[05:42.180 -> 05:45.280] but just some of the shots as he's sideways through the corner and
[05:45.840 -> 05:49.440] Driving on that edge and a beyond it at all times
[05:49.640 -> 05:54.160] That's what we want from our racing heroes, and that's why he was a hero. Yeah, you know, I think
[05:54.820 -> 05:59.940] And in many ways, you know, I think that's the image that people remember of jail
[06:00.280 -> 06:06.940] Whereas actually I I look to the other side of it, which is you know, Harama 81 Monaco
[06:07.300 -> 06:12.220] Where he qualified on the front row, Pironi two rows from the back and those were actually not
[06:12.780 -> 06:14.780] swashbuckling drives with wheels hanging off
[06:14.940 -> 06:21.400] Those were almost Alain Prost-esque drives where he calculated and managed a car and the tires and won
[06:22.020 -> 06:23.860] and I think
[06:23.860 -> 06:27.360] You know, there's there's so many sides to this amazing character
[06:27.360 -> 06:33.320] and tragically we didn't get to see if he could have become that world champion that
[06:33.320 -> 06:35.280] everyone thought he was going to be.
[06:35.280 -> 06:39.120] Greatest driver never to have won a world championship?
[06:39.120 -> 06:40.120] It's a big question isn't it?
[06:40.120 -> 06:41.120] It's a few candidates.
[06:41.120 -> 06:42.120] Sterling Moss?
[06:42.120 -> 06:46.200] I was going to say, second after Sterling Moss, I'd say.
[06:46.200 -> 06:47.800] OK, second after Sterling Moss.
[06:47.800 -> 06:53.000] Now sadly, Champ can't bring popcorn round to everyone's house to watch this because,
[06:53.000 -> 06:56.000] well, he hasn't got that much money or that much time, to be fair.
[06:56.000 -> 06:57.500] You've got to set up a business now, doing it.
[06:57.500 -> 06:59.500] I mean, you've just set me up perfectly.
[06:59.500 -> 07:01.000] Damon delivers.
[07:01.000 -> 07:03.000] Hilleroo, we can have this now.
[07:03.000 -> 07:05.360] It'll be fantastic, but you can experience this
[07:05.360 -> 07:10.400] magnificent documentary and I think the three of us, well I'm going to give it 10 out of
[07:10.400 -> 07:15.860] 10. Yeah, it's a must. If you have any interest in the sport, you have to watch it. It tells
[07:15.860 -> 07:21.600] you the history, where this sport's come from and it shows it in the raw. It's a fascinating
[07:21.600 -> 07:28.000] and brilliantly made documentary film. So we got lucky, we got to see it first, you get to see it next.
[07:28.000 -> 07:33.000] Straight after qualifying, Sky Sports F1 and Sky Documentaries on Saturday evening.
[07:33.000 -> 07:38.000] And if you are not available on Saturday to watch it, you can catch it after the race as well on Sunday.
[07:38.000 -> 07:44.000] Villeneuve-Perroni, it is a tragic tale, but it is a magnificent film and you need to watch it.
[07:39.980 -> 07:44.180] It is a tragic tale, but it is a magnificent film, and you need to watch it.