Jacques Villeneuve (elder)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Jacques Villeneuve | |
| Nationality |  Canadian |
|---|---|
| World Championship Career | |
| Active years | 1981, 1983 |
| Team(s) | Arrows, RAM |
| Races | 3 |
| Championships | 0 |
| Wins | 0 |
| Podium finishes | 0 |
| Pole positions | 0 |
| Fastest laps | 0 |
| First race | 1981 Canadian Grand Prix |
| Last race | 1983 Canadian Grand Prix |
Jacques Villeneuve - also known as Jacquo or Uncle Jacques (in French L'oncle Jacques) - is the brother of Gilles Villeneuve, and uncle to Jacques Villeneuve (former F1 world champion). He was born on November 4, 1953 in the small town of Berthierville, Quebec, Canada. He is now frequently known as Uncle Jacques because of the rise of his nephew. He had a varied motorsport career, taking in Formula Atlantic, CART, Can-Am, snowmobile racing and Formula One, and remains a revered figure in Canadian motorsport circles.
After starting out racing snowmobiles, he moved into saloon racing in Canada, winning a Honda Civic series and many races from 1976 to 1978. He then stepped up to the open-wheeler Formula Ford category, and then Formula Atlantic, where he took Rookie of the Year in 1979, then consecutive titles in 1980 and 1981. At the end of 1981, he took a pair of drives for the Arrows Formula One team, but failed to qualify for the Canadian Grand Prix, or the United States Grand Prix East.
1982 was a difficult year, considering the death of brother Gilles Villeneuve, and Jacques spent most of the year in Can-Am, though he would take a one-off drive in CART. 1983 saw him take the Can-Am title, as well as another Formula One drive (narrowly failing to qualify an RAM for the 1983 Canadian Grand Prix). During this period, he also kept up his snowmobiling exploits, winning a number of prestigious races, and had a one-off Sportscar drive at the 1983 24 Hours of Le Mans.
1984 saw a return to CART, with Villeneuve ranking 15th overall, having taken pole position at the Phoenix round. The following year he became the first Canadian to win a CART race, taking victory in the wet/dry race at Elkhart Lake on his way to 8th overall in the standings. After another season of CART in 1986 and his only appearance in the Indianapolis 500, Villeneuve scaled back his motor racing activities, though he has regularly returned for occasional drives to CART, Formula Atlantic (winning some of these guest races) and IMSA.
He also remained highly active and successful in snowmobiling, also branching out to powerboat racing.
"Uncle" Jacques Villeneuve was inducted into the Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame in 2001.
[edit] Complete Formula One results
(key)
| Yr | Entrant | Chassis | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | WDC | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | Arrows Racing Team | Arrows A3 | Cosworth V8 | USW |
BRA |
ARG |
SMR |
BEL |
MON |
ESP |
FRA |
GBR |
GER |
AUT |
NED |
ITA |
CAN DNQ |
LVS DNQ |
- | 0 |
| 1983 | RAM Automotive Team March | March RAM 01 | Cosworth V8 | BRA |
USW |
FRA |
SMR |
MON |
BEL |
USE |
CAN DNQ |
GBR |
GER |
AUT |
NED |
ITA |
EUR |
RSA |
- | 0 |
[edit] References
- Hughes, M. 1998. The Other (quicker) Jacques Villeneuve. Motor Sport, October 1998.
