If that had happened today with someone knocking into you in the corner during a fight for position, the other driver instead of fighting back would just get on the radio and shout "give him a penalty give him a penalty!"
for villeneuve, his car was a tool for the race. he swear to they engineer when touched the car!! Gilles eas a driver, engineer and his knew everything about mechanic!! he was the man!!
To anyone watching this, watch Kubica vs Massa Fuji 2008. That has 5 or 6 overtaking manouveres in about 4 corners. F1 IS still as good now as it was then, if not better.
The difference between Senna and Villeneuve is that Senna's skills were HIGHLY developed as opposed to Villeneuve's flashes of brilliance. If Gilles had the means to race since he was a boy, I think he would've been intense.
Michael Schumacher is the only one still racing that is as aggressive as these pair. Look at his last battle with Hamilton in Monza 2011. With an inferior car, Schumacher defended fiercely against Hamilton's superior car and when Hamilton overtook him, Schumacher retook him immediately. This is all when Schumacher is currently 42 years of age and with a ton of money. He does it purely for racing!!
@soly20 I watched that battle all the way through, it was fucking brilliant it seemed to go on forever! After watching that battle I'm convinced that if Michael got the chance to drive a better car he would be able to win races for sure. Its a shame with all these rules and regulations that he got penalized for making 2 defensive moves under braking against Hamilton as well as cutting him up on Curva Grande, but its racing, he shouldn't get dogged for doing that, people pay good money to see it.
i read plenty comment here... and there's comment about "senna the greatest" .. oh god.. this is video about Arnoux vs Villeneuve .. i failed to see the relation here..
@maskmanyeah he says in this video (Which is from his 1998 VHS release if I remember) that Gilles Villneuve was the greatest racing driver of them all, yet in the 2010 episode of Top Gear he stated that Ayrton Senna was, people fail to see how opinions can change over many years...
Thank you for Clarkson's good speaking about Villeneuve. For being a french-canadian, he's the first I ear to pronounce correctly Villeneuve, in english.
yeah imagine if that happened today, the race stewards would have had a field day, and both of them would have been stripped of points. bring back jackie stewart, villeneuve, senna, prost, mansell,rosberg, piquet. bring back real racing
Today, if drivers fight like this, the stewards will penalize them. See Hamilton vs Alonso in Malaysia 2011. It's like the FIA has banned EPIC driving.
Don't exist "Best F1" driver... Exist " The Bests F1 Drivers", How i can compare Fangio to Schumacher?? Jim Clark to Ayrton Senna?? How i can excludes and fogert Alberto Ascari, Jack Brabham? Graham Hill, Jochen Rindt, Stewart, Fittipaldi, Peterson, Hunt, Niki Lauda, Gilles Villeneuve, Keke Rosberg, Carlos Reutmann, Nelson Piquet? There no reasons to these compares, they all are "the best" in them way ;)
Clarkson even admits it himself in the Senna tribute he did a few years later.
The cars weren't that different between then and what Senna started driving in either, all monsterously powerful turbocharged and pre carbon fibre with massive tyres and a stick shift. Besides, Prost raced Villeneuve, and Senna, and matched both on his day....
@dynomania well , i just saw some guys touch in cars that were way less safe .not to mention helmet technology . and they both finished that race my friend . like he said . now they just dont have the sacc
@mushrume@mushrume Maybe now they are more afraid of the media and the opposing fans than the racing. Just look at Hamilton. He makes a lot of moves and his a god when he pulls it off but whenever something goes wrong even if his not fully to blame they crucify the man with headlines like "Hamilton going crazy" and staff like that and even old racing drivers that got too old it seems accusing him of being dangerous.
my 2 favourite driver senna+villeneuve... senna wanted to beat prost and was the fastest.......villeneuve was and is the best driver to watch........ but both are wet weather men, f1 today is just a kids sports, just think if gilles was alive and vs ayrton.....................wow
You believe that Villeneuve´d win in a wet track??? Senna was the best driver in the the world in wet track, unbeatable! Don´t u remember ENG-88, JAP-88, POR-85, EUR-93?? Just to mention a few...
Senna was pure-speed, the Pole-Position Master, defeated all his team-mates in qualifying, if u analyse the whole season. Besides, in rain he used to race for himself. Villeneuve was great, but more a Show-Man than a efficient driver. It´s just you analyse his outcomes n scores.
Between Senna and Villeneuve, you have the two greatest F1 drivers of all time. Both had different styles, were from different eras and drove very different machines, but in the end, both were amazing, and the best there ever was and ever will be. RIP Gilles and Ayrton, you were the greatest.
@TheCarlsonsRaiders ever will be is stupid 2 say :/ i mean i no F1 is 2 dif now for it 2 realy foster the talent of the driver if he had it but u never no what will happen i mean sure people said lots were the best ever till the next guy but gilles and ayrton will allways be in that top list
@TheCarlsonsRaiders Senna was head and shoulders better then Villeneuve,Villeneuve could never have strung a Championship together.,he was nuts and sure enough he went to an early grave.
@jupiatan Except he would have won the Championship in 1979, but Ferrari ordered him to let Jody Scheckter pass him, and so he was to come second. Villeneuve was far from nuts, and his crash was simply a result of another car slowing on the track, which he crashed avoiding. No doubt Senna was the greatest, but Villeneuve was still an amazing driver, he just lost out as he had to play second fiddle to Scheckter at Ferrari.
@TheCarlsonsRaiders Scheckter beat him fair and square,head to head Scheckter was faster.Scheckter was a former lunatic who reformed into a serious contender.I know Villeneuve appeals to people because of his style.But to win first you have to finish.If you you do not believe me check the stats.
@jupiatan Except it`s well known Villeneuve was asked at times to let Scheckter win, which gave him the championship. No doubt they were both capable of winning a championship, but Scheckter was considered the number one driver, and so he was destined to win.
The respect Gilles Villeneuve held among his competitors is enough.
There are a gijillion comments about Gilles, some from his teammate, some from the pilots he fought against and some from F1 drivers who saw his ability.
I give you this:
Jody Scheckter - Gilles was the fastest driver in the history of F1. And he was the most honest man I've ever met.
fyi, Jody wasn't talking about Gilles banking ability
You know what set Gilles a step above Senna?? What you see in this video!! No crashing into someone to win a championship, not running anyone off the road, just pure skill and talent!!! A bunch of numbers doesnt make you great, its how you achieve those numbers!! Schumacher is the perfect example of that!! Look at him this year, getting made look like a fool by a teammate that has a quarter of the experience!
Senna was also a great driver, no doubts there, but also always had the advantage of driving the best car on the track, sometimes by some margin. He also drove in an era of driving aids like ABS. Gilles had no such luck.
@IAMCANADIAN1998 Senna had the best car in 1988 - 1989. In the rest he had just the skill. Gilles had the ground effect that made the car more nimble, more stable on curbs and easier to drive at high speed. Senna had the biggest power in F1 history, but the aerodynamics wore very poor and after they banned the electronic aids, the cars wore a complete nightmare to drive. Without doubt, Gilles Vileneuve, Ayrton Senna and Stefan Bellof wore the best drivers in F1. They all died and became legends.
TheReppy, I have personally heard from Ayrton saying in good Portuguese that Villeneuve had been his idol. Maybe you know more about Ayrton and mine native language, congratulations ! Engole seu pum, seu rústico babaca ...
Clarkson is correct when speaking of today's drivers.. even the fans are soft-crotches. schumi squeezes barrisooky and everyone screams bloody murder. senna a vill did it every other race!! Oh, and Clarkson is wrong about gilles being the greatest driver, he even admits it.. just watch: /watch?v=N9oUii8XHYY
Another great duel happened between Emerson Fittipaldi and Nigel Mansel when they were both in CART racing in the US. It was at the airport strip in Cleveland. I can't remember the year but I think they exchanged places 7 times in one lap.
It's too bad you don't see this type of thing more often. The year that Jacques Villeneuve went to Formula I he had a bit of that ballsy CART style (maybe a little of Gilles in his veins too) but it didn't take him long to "acclimatise" to FI "etiquette".
Clarkson is a dreadful presenter, especially the way he pauses in the middle of a sentence and starts speaking slowly, and his commentary here demonstrates he understands little about F1 except in one key respect - Gilles was undoubtedly the greatest driver ever to sit in an F1 car, certainly with regard to natural ability, car control and racing spirit. Also the ground effect cars were notoriously difficult to slide and remain in control, but somehow Gilles managed it.
"the greatest driver to have ever plonked his bottom in a formula 1 car": this is probably the only time I agree with Clarkson!! Spot on!!!! He was a magician!
My two favouite drivers of all time were exact opposites. Jim Clark was so smooth he could make a set of tires last the whole race. Gilles Villeneuve could use up a set in one lap. The ultimate Quebec driver. Back when drivers had class, and balls.
The Renault had a 1,5litre turbo V6, whereas the Ferrari had a 3,0litre flat 12. So it was also turbo cars vs non-turbo car. In Arnoux defense it must be said the turbo was very difficult to drive in the corners since its power delivery wasn't as smooth as those of NA engines.
Blame Ecclestone and Mosley for thinking the glamour and celebrities in the paddock makes a F1 race interesting. And making sure one driver dominated.
if they made the cars today shorter on height and wider at the wheels overtaking would be increased. try and watch the races from 96 and '97 the cars run much closer together and they don't have ugly ass rear wings either
the movie TINCUP with kevin costner and rene russo at the end of the movie when he sank the putt and they were walking in back and she says nobody will remember who won but they'll remember the 12 , why it's immortal . i know it's just a play on words but it makes me feel good.
Now this is what F1 is all about. Modern F1 = a pansies paradise, none of the current drivers have the balls to push it above and beyond the absolute limit like Arnoux and Villeneuve displayed here. Schumacher returning to F1? HA! Thats not going to make any difference to how crap F1 is now.
Unquestionably the greatest driver of his era - and undoubtedly one of the finest of all time - Villeneuve made you wonder, to paraphrase Jacques Laffite, his F1 contemporary, whether human beings could perform miracles.
@IAMCANADIAN1998 he´s already changed his mind. watch the top gear senna tribute. quoting him, 'villeneuve was spectacular on a number of occasions. senna was spectacular every time he sat on a racin car'
@IAMCANADIAN1998 yer :) evryone say ayrton senna is but :/ when i watch senna drive i no he was good but it just looked like eevryone else but villeneuve wood make me smile when i watch :)
@brunosaboia clarkson has since said lewis hamilton is the best, what's your point, his opinion means nothing.
The difference between Senna and Villeneuve is that Senna was Ruthless, at the end of the day Gilles' rivals not only respected him, but they admired him, something no other driver in F1 history has earned from his rivals.
@SuperColossal33 I know his opinion don't mean anything, but I'm replying to someone who agreed with his first position. Jim Clark was also admired and respected by other drivers, like Fangio before him, and like Caracciola before him. What is your point? Gilles was a great driver, of course, but the GREATEST is a very delicate term to use.
@rastamees Then? he can win all GP but i didn't said Senna isn't a Champion. For me the numbers not count. Gilles did something magic in F1. They are so different Pilots... cannot compare them.
Gilles was a "Crazy" driver. When had occasion to overtake. He Overtakes.
Senna was a "Intelligent" driver. Overtake only when is sure.
Man this is a Gilles Villeneuve video. if you want to say senna is the best driver, Go away not here.
@rastamees Lol He wanted to crash ahah Study F1 before say something. Senna wanted a revenge for the 1989 hit by Prost same track at the chicane where was disqualified for Cutting Chicane.
Please do not reply when you are saying false things.
@maranello55 what are you talking about you tit thats F1 all right. And no there was no refuelling, or even tyre changes, which threw a whole load more variables into the racing than modern races, though that will change slightly with no refuelling next year. Now the FIA just needs to ban tyre stops and bring a couple more tyre manufacturers and F1 will be much more interesting.
This is NOT from Top Gear, it is from one of Jeremy Clarkson's own DVDs. I'm not sure which one... I could find out but frankly can't be arsed to do it. It is definitely NOT from any Top Gear though.
«Par son style flamboyant, sa maîtrise, la manière dont il changeait de vitesse et freinait, il nous montra ce quun pilote devait faire pour défendre sa position ou faire face à une situation inattendue. Il fut un véritable champion et un don au monde entier, apportant la gloire à lécurie Ferrari. Je laimais beaucoup. »
Things is, "best" doesn't mean much. Who's "best", Claudia Schiffer or Pamela Anderson? What's the criteria, curves or beauty? Asking "who's best" is just the wrong question to ask.
Back to F1 drivers. Who was the fastest of the two? We'll never know. Who was most talented? I'd challenge anyone to come up with objective arguments either way.
Now, who was most exciting to watch racing? Hands down Villeneuve.
Its called balls, no room for those in Mr Hamiltons driving suit!!!! As a a Webber watcher from hid formula Ford days, all thats gets big on him is his fat head!!! :p
Yeah, like this years season opener at Albert Park with Vettel and Kubica. . .
Ok, lets change the aerodynamics on the cars, make it easier to pass, have some exictement, but if and when they collide, ( which is pretty damn inevitable) let's fine and penalize the shit out the drivers. . .
there are many reasons, KERS, the points system which doesn't encourage a win, the cars are sprung to high meaning the draft is weak, the brakes are to strong meaning braking duels are non-existant, the cars are too sensitive the changes in grip levels which means they have to stick to the same line, the cars have also outgrown many of the circuits, they're too fast for them and REFUELLING! which encourages passing in the pits, all these things add up and it'll be better next year...
love to watch villeneuve attack,from inside the first brake was incredible,next lap he try to keep from outside at the end of the..villeneuve absolute master
it's not like every single race in the 70s and 80s were like this, often more than half the cars would drop out and the leading pair would follow suit and unspectacularly cross the finish line in a formation finish, todays racing is still pretty good i still enjoy watching it, there's been some pretty good racing this year and it'll be WAY BETTER next year when refuelling goes out the window, can't wait...
I assume you're saying that Massa & Kube were "out of control" You really think Rene & Giles were anything else ? Nobody liked Giles more that I did, but I don't let that get in the way of the facts. Other drivers constantly & openly complained about Rene's behaviour on track & many felt the same about Giles. Giles was a great talent but squandered his F1 career by lunatic driving. He then hurt us so deeply by allowing it to take his life & I am still a little angry with him over it.
no question about its the best ever duel in the history of f1.
these cars and drivers were true blue .
they didnt give a shit about money or fame all they cared about was fighting til the last corner of the last lap .
the sport was raw and real in the 70s today its just mickey mouse cartoon shit ,with assholes who nothing at all in the cockpits just flick a lever behind the steering wheel .love to see shitmacher or hamilton back in this era .they wud be horse whipped by these IMMORTAL GREATS.
Your absolutely right! I do think Lewis could drive with these guys though! I dont know what car it was but he jumped in one of Sterling Moss' old cars last year, started it and took off! Nobody could believe it, I cant remember who owned it but he said that, that was the first person to drive the car that didnt stal it, including the wner who said that he still stals it every time he drives it! I'm not saying he could do it for sure, no questions asked but I think he would get it pretty quick!
This comment has received too many negative votesshow
Doesn't it impact on you that you have been roundly condemned here ? Y ou don't know what you are talking about. All suggestions of Giles' greatness are just emotion and nothing else. He was dramatic because he drove like a lunatic ! His son even says so. You compared him to
If that had happened today with someone knocking into you in the corner during a fight for position, the other driver instead of fighting back would just get on the radio and shout "give him a penalty give him a penalty!"
noveltybobel 2 days ago
Thank you Jeremy...Gilles was the best
rv4flyer 6 days ago
for villeneuve, his car was a tool for the race. he swear to they engineer when touched the car!! Gilles eas a driver, engineer and his knew everything about mechanic!! he was the man!!
frechette428 1 week ago
To anyone watching this, watch Kubica vs Massa Fuji 2008. That has 5 or 6 overtaking manouveres in about 4 corners. F1 IS still as good now as it was then, if not better.
TunaWilson 2 weeks ago in playlist Favorite videos
Jaboullie won...but no1 cared haha priceless clarkson
TheShaneyman 3 weeks ago
The difference between Senna and Villeneuve is that Senna's skills were HIGHLY developed as opposed to Villeneuve's flashes of brilliance. If Gilles had the means to race since he was a boy, I think he would've been intense.
TUTOU 1 month ago
Comment removed
connan7 2 months ago
Does anybody know from which episode is this? Thanks in advance!
bimate18 3 months ago
Michael Schumacher is the only one still racing that is as aggressive as these pair. Look at his last battle with Hamilton in Monza 2011. With an inferior car, Schumacher defended fiercely against Hamilton's superior car and when Hamilton overtook him, Schumacher retook him immediately. This is all when Schumacher is currently 42 years of age and with a ton of money. He does it purely for racing!!
M. Schumacher, the legend!
soly20 4 months ago 4
@soly20 I watched that battle all the way through, it was fucking brilliant it seemed to go on forever! After watching that battle I'm convinced that if Michael got the chance to drive a better car he would be able to win races for sure. Its a shame with all these rules and regulations that he got penalized for making 2 defensive moves under braking against Hamilton as well as cutting him up on Curva Grande, but its racing, he shouldn't get dogged for doing that, people pay good money to see it.
AyrtonSennaFan97 4 months ago
i read plenty comment here... and there's comment about "senna the greatest" .. oh god.. this is video about Arnoux vs Villeneuve .. i failed to see the relation here..
maskmanyeah 4 months ago
@maskmanyeah he says in this video (Which is from his 1998 VHS release if I remember) that Gilles Villneuve was the greatest racing driver of them all, yet in the 2010 episode of Top Gear he stated that Ayrton Senna was, people fail to see how opinions can change over many years...
officialmashitup 2 months ago
Thank you for Clarkson's good speaking about Villeneuve. For being a french-canadian, he's the first I ear to pronounce correctly Villeneuve, in english.
Leveqmtl 5 months ago
Love him or hate him, Clarkson is comedic gold.
SL504NYY26 5 months ago
yeah imagine if that happened today, the race stewards would have had a field day, and both of them would have been stripped of points. bring back jackie stewart, villeneuve, senna, prost, mansell,rosberg, piquet. bring back real racing
MrNipsi 6 months ago
Or I should say todays F1 drivers bore me.
northernsoul44 7 months ago
Its Le Man for me this year. F1 drivers bore the shit out of me.
northernsoul44 7 months ago
@northernsoul44 +1 le mans is never boring, true driving skill and courage,
le mans is epic, always has been, and always will be.
511KTM 7 months ago
Villeneuve and Senna - the F1 legends of my lifetime.
Too bad they never raced each other.
tech9803 7 months ago 2
Today, if drivers fight like this, the stewards will penalize them. See Hamilton vs Alonso in Malaysia 2011. It's like the FIA has banned EPIC driving.
BiggWormdpg 7 months ago
my vote is for senna as the greatest - but this is epic!
thehoff1982 8 months ago
I loved him, but "The Greatest Driver Ever" no, but he was truly fearless.
DucatiDarius 8 months ago
"that is what the sport is missing today" JC.
EvilCrewMember 8 months ago
"Now today overtaking doesn´t really happen in F1 be cause the drivers are to rich and worried about their hairstyle" hahaha epic Clarkson xD
TheV12ferrari 8 months ago
Comment removed
TheV12ferrari 8 months ago
Arnoux has the inside but villeneuve had the balls xDDDD
rexuro64 9 months ago 3
''...but villeneuve had the balls...''
that's clarkson, epic.
timykaien 9 months ago 29
when f1 was worth watching
KNEWBIES 11 months ago
Don't exist "Best F1" driver... Exist " The Bests F1 Drivers", How i can compare Fangio to Schumacher?? Jim Clark to Ayrton Senna?? How i can excludes and fogert Alberto Ascari, Jack Brabham? Graham Hill, Jochen Rindt, Stewart, Fittipaldi, Peterson, Hunt, Niki Lauda, Gilles Villeneuve, Keke Rosberg, Carlos Reutmann, Nelson Piquet? There no reasons to these compares, they all are "the best" in them way ;)
Elbrusbase 1 year ago 4
Comment removed
Elbrusbase 1 year ago
Comment removed
Elbrusbase 1 year ago
CLARCKSON'S RIGHT......WE SHOULD SEND THIS TO THE FIA SO THEY CAN CHANGE THE REGULATIONS HAVE MORE EXCITING RACES :)))) OH AND R.I.P Gille Villenuve
F1guy1 1 year ago
Villenueve = 80s senna
Glibzer 1 year ago
560HP 3.0L V12 of 312 T4 vs 600HP 1.5L V6 Turbo of RS11-12 (I thinks :P) RIP Legend
RedhotIta1 1 year ago
All pilots in F1 these days should feel embarrassed after seeing this.
sasarasasarasa 1 year ago 3
@sasarasasarasa THANKYOU........
flavaj12 1 year ago
"I have never got out of a car and though I could try harder." Gilles Villeneuve
ostryer61 1 year ago 5
This has been flagged as spam show
Thank you Gilles and René for these unforgettable moments !!
bbathoorn 1 year ago
Thank you Gilles and René for these unforgettable moments !!
bbathoorn 1 year ago
Ayrton Senna = best ever.
Clarkson even admits it himself in the Senna tribute he did a few years later.
The cars weren't that different between then and what Senna started driving in either, all monsterously powerful turbocharged and pre carbon fibre with massive tyres and a stick shift. Besides, Prost raced Villeneuve, and Senna, and matched both on his day....
mrdannygoon 1 year ago
different cars, different era less tech and brave drivers
shirfield 1 year ago
Jemery Clarkson is such a good commentator.
racewithferrari 1 year ago 47
@racewithferrari
He surely is. The BBC should think about taking him as replacement of Brundle next year.
H31N2H4R4LD 1 month ago
your telling me NOBODY was able to get a photograph at the end of the straight
niikodas 1 year ago
They can't ! They touch, they die !
dynomania 1 year ago 10
@dynomania well , i just saw some guys touch in cars that were way less safe .not to mention helmet technology . and they both finished that race my friend . like he said . now they just dont have the sacc
mushrume 1 month ago
@mushrume @mushrume Maybe now they are more afraid of the media and the opposing fans than the racing. Just look at Hamilton. He makes a lot of moves and his a god when he pulls it off but whenever something goes wrong even if his not fully to blame they crucify the man with headlines like "Hamilton going crazy" and staff like that and even old racing drivers that got too old it seems accusing him of being dangerous.
Who could race with shit like that!
SIPEROTH 3 weeks ago
Modern F1 drivers need to man up.
carsismeZ06 1 year ago
Gracias Giles, gracias Rene. Momentos como este no abundan en esta F1.
mpolipi 1 year ago
my 2 favourite driver senna+villeneuve... senna wanted to beat prost and was the fastest.......villeneuve was and is the best driver to watch........ but both are wet weather men, f1 today is just a kids sports, just think if gilles was alive and vs ayrton.....................wow
flavaj12 1 year ago
@flavaj12
Yeeeees. What a matchup. Villeneuve vs Senna.
I don't know who would win on a dry track, but I believe Villeneuve would win that race on a wet track.
Thank you for the post.
smackbunny 1 year ago
@smackbunny
You believe that Villeneuve´d win in a wet track??? Senna was the best driver in the the world in wet track, unbeatable! Don´t u remember ENG-88, JAP-88, POR-85, EUR-93?? Just to mention a few...
CescoManier 11 months ago
@CescoManier
Yeah but Villeneuve was faster and more importantly, Villeneuve wouldn't crash into you.
smackbunny 11 months ago
@smackbunny
Senna was pure-speed, the Pole-Position Master, defeated all his team-mates in qualifying, if u analyse the whole season. Besides, in rain he used to race for himself. Villeneuve was great, but more a Show-Man than a efficient driver. It´s just you analyse his outcomes n scores.
CescoManier 11 months ago
@CescoManier
Senna was pure speed, but he was also not a sportsman.
Villeneuve was fast, talented and a sportsman.
Villeneuve would not crash into you.
That is the difference.
smackbunny 11 months ago 5
@smackbunny You race to win. I don't blame Senna for his attitude on the track.
Konformation07 11 months ago
Between Senna and Villeneuve, you have the two greatest F1 drivers of all time. Both had different styles, were from different eras and drove very different machines, but in the end, both were amazing, and the best there ever was and ever will be. RIP Gilles and Ayrton, you were the greatest.
TheCarlsonsRaiders 1 year ago
@TheCarlsonsRaiders ever will be is stupid 2 say :/ i mean i no F1 is 2 dif now for it 2 realy foster the talent of the driver if he had it but u never no what will happen i mean sure people said lots were the best ever till the next guy but gilles and ayrton will allways be in that top list
gerico123454 1 year ago
@gerico123454 Uh, what?
TheCarlsonsRaiders 1 year ago
@TheCarlsonsRaiders Senna was head and shoulders better then Villeneuve,Villeneuve could never have strung a Championship together.,he was nuts and sure enough he went to an early grave.
jupiatan 1 year ago
@jupiatan Except he would have won the Championship in 1979, but Ferrari ordered him to let Jody Scheckter pass him, and so he was to come second. Villeneuve was far from nuts, and his crash was simply a result of another car slowing on the track, which he crashed avoiding. No doubt Senna was the greatest, but Villeneuve was still an amazing driver, he just lost out as he had to play second fiddle to Scheckter at Ferrari.
TheCarlsonsRaiders 1 year ago
@TheCarlsonsRaiders Scheckter beat him fair and square,head to head Scheckter was faster.Scheckter was a former lunatic who reformed into a serious contender.I know Villeneuve appeals to people because of his style.But to win first you have to finish.If you you do not believe me check the stats.
jupiatan 1 year ago
@jupiatan Except it`s well known Villeneuve was asked at times to let Scheckter win, which gave him the championship. No doubt they were both capable of winning a championship, but Scheckter was considered the number one driver, and so he was destined to win.
TheCarlsonsRaiders 1 year ago
@TheCarlsonsRaiders
If it is so well know, post proof and links. Your word doesn't cut it
GrumpyOleMan 1 year ago
@jupiatan
Stats are hard to get when the pilot dies.
The respect Gilles Villeneuve held among his competitors is enough.
There are a gijillion comments about Gilles, some from his teammate, some from the pilots he fought against and some from F1 drivers who saw his ability.
I give you this:
Jody Scheckter - Gilles was the fastest driver in the history of F1. And he was the most honest man I've ever met.
fyi, Jody wasn't talking about Gilles banking ability
Gilles slowed, because he had to
smackbunny 1 year ago
the best overtaking in F1
Gilles are the best
MrFerraristadoc 1 year ago
Sempre Gilles
Salut!
Bladod 1 year ago
The comment is hilarious!!
egress078 1 year ago
Amazing!
Respect!
When we will see something like that again?
GRwarrior77 1 year ago
You know what set Gilles a step above Senna?? What you see in this video!! No crashing into someone to win a championship, not running anyone off the road, just pure skill and talent!!! A bunch of numbers doesnt make you great, its how you achieve those numbers!! Schumacher is the perfect example of that!! Look at him this year, getting made look like a fool by a teammate that has a quarter of the experience!
craigg1981 1 year ago
Senna was also a great driver, no doubts there, but also always had the advantage of driving the best car on the track, sometimes by some margin. He also drove in an era of driving aids like ABS. Gilles had no such luck.
IAMCANADIAN1998 1 year ago
@IAMCANADIAN1998 Senna had the best car in 1988 - 1989. In the rest he had just the skill. Gilles had the ground effect that made the car more nimble, more stable on curbs and easier to drive at high speed. Senna had the biggest power in F1 history, but the aerodynamics wore very poor and after they banned the electronic aids, the cars wore a complete nightmare to drive. Without doubt, Gilles Vileneuve, Ayrton Senna and Stefan Bellof wore the best drivers in F1. They all died and became legends.
silverblackss 1 year ago
TheReppy, I have personally heard from Ayrton saying in good Portuguese that Villeneuve had been his idol. Maybe you know more about Ayrton and mine native language, congratulations ! Engole seu pum, seu rústico babaca ...
CaxiasFreguesia 1 year ago 2
Clarkson is correct when speaking of today's drivers.. even the fans are soft-crotches. schumi squeezes barrisooky and everyone screams bloody murder. senna a vill did it every other race!! Oh, and Clarkson is wrong about gilles being the greatest driver, he even admits it.. just watch: /watch?v=N9oUii8XHYY
TheReppy 1 year ago 2
Another great duel happened between Emerson Fittipaldi and Nigel Mansel when they were both in CART racing in the US. It was at the airport strip in Cleveland. I can't remember the year but I think they exchanged places 7 times in one lap.
It's too bad you don't see this type of thing more often. The year that Jacques Villeneuve went to Formula I he had a bit of that ballsy CART style (maybe a little of Gilles in his veins too) but it didn't take him long to "acclimatise" to FI "etiquette".
ironpirites 1 year ago
Clarkson is a dreadful presenter, especially the way he pauses in the middle of a sentence and starts speaking slowly, and his commentary here demonstrates he understands little about F1 except in one key respect - Gilles was undoubtedly the greatest driver ever to sit in an F1 car, certainly with regard to natural ability, car control and racing spirit. Also the ground effect cars were notoriously difficult to slide and remain in control, but somehow Gilles managed it.
n01rationalist 1 year ago
Ayrton Senna´s idol: Gilles Villeneuve, nothing more to say ...
CaxiasFreguesia 1 year ago
@CaxiasFreguesia wtf? fangio was senna's idol. the greatest in his eyes. friggen fartmouth
TheReppy 1 year ago
As a huge Villeneuve fan i must admit that Senna was better, i'd still personally prefer Gilles, but Senna was the best.
Savak22 1 year ago
"the greatest driver to have ever plonked his bottom in a formula 1 car": this is probably the only time I agree with Clarkson!! Spot on!!!! He was a magician!
paulosev66 1 year ago
My two favouite drivers of all time were exact opposites. Jim Clark was so smooth he could make a set of tires last the whole race. Gilles Villeneuve could use up a set in one lap. The ultimate Quebec driver. Back when drivers had class, and balls.
02bliss 1 year ago
Gilles Villeneuve, a true Canadian, and the greatest Formula 1 driver ever.
TheCarlsonsRaiders 1 year ago
I totaly agree...
SimonMics 1 year ago
i remember kubica and massa fighting very very hard.
yuOXHxNAE2g
ozzyxs 1 year ago
How to get back here? The best racing now seems to be the LMP cars. Lots of passing.
jamesandrew2000 1 year ago
THIS is why I love auto racing. It almost never gets better than this!
DinsdalePiranha67 1 year ago
Actually they weren't the same type of cars.
The Renault had a 1,5litre turbo V6, whereas the Ferrari had a 3,0litre flat 12. So it was also turbo cars vs non-turbo car. In Arnoux defense it must be said the turbo was very difficult to drive in the corners since its power delivery wasn't as smooth as those of NA engines.
Blame Ecclestone and Mosley for thinking the glamour and celebrities in the paddock makes a F1 race interesting. And making sure one driver dominated.
McLarenMercedes 1 year ago
if they made the cars today shorter on height and wider at the wheels overtaking would be increased. try and watch the races from 96 and '97 the cars run much closer together and they don't have ugly ass rear wings either
thash1127 1 year ago
the movie TINCUP with kevin costner and rene russo at the end of the movie when he sank the putt and they were walking in back and she says nobody will remember who won but they'll remember the 12 , why it's immortal . i know it's just a play on words but it makes me feel good.
niikodas 1 year ago
Nice!!
9karimot 1 year ago
So...That's what I call race driving...
1982Radical 1 year ago 4
Thanks for posting this. And Jeremy, as a Canadian, I thank you for your kind words about Villeneuve.
1sainteve1 1 year ago 5
Thats what I cann RACING!!! Thank for sharing mate (^_^)
SaudiGear 1 year ago
Now this is what F1 is all about. Modern F1 = a pansies paradise, none of the current drivers have the balls to push it above and beyond the absolute limit like Arnoux and Villeneuve displayed here. Schumacher returning to F1? HA! Thats not going to make any difference to how crap F1 is now.
kevatcrewe 1 year ago
Hes good but hes no rolf harris
Nick4Gaming 1 year ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
He's good but he is no Schumi
ndbailey666 1 year ago
@ndbailey666 Schumi sucks man
Ilovetypography 1 year ago
Unquestionably the greatest driver of his era - and undoubtedly one of the finest of all time - Villeneuve made you wonder, to paraphrase Jacques Laffite, his F1 contemporary, whether human beings could perform miracles.
ostryer61 2 years ago 3
"The greatest driver to have ever plonked his bottom in a Formula 1 car." Damn straight.
IAMCANADIAN1998 2 years ago 102
@IAMCANADIAN1998 he´s already changed his mind. watch the top gear senna tribute. quoting him, 'villeneuve was spectacular on a number of occasions. senna was spectacular every time he sat on a racin car'
cirroseh1 1 year ago
@IAMCANADIAN1998 I have to say Gilles and Senna were the best. But I have special place for Jim Clark and Jackie Stewart.
YouCantKillMrGOATSE 1 year ago
@IAMCANADIAN1998
audruicq1 1 year ago
@IAMCANADIAN1998 Can't say better than that. Ron of Canada
audruicq1 1 year ago
@IAMCANADIAN1998 yer :) evryone say ayrton senna is but :/ when i watch senna drive i no he was good but it just looked like eevryone else but villeneuve wood make me smile when i watch :)
gerico123454 1 year ago
@IAMCANADIAN1998 Villeneuve was great and there is no question about that but Ayrton Senna deserves much more respect.
gishini246 1 year ago
@IAMCANADIAN1998 AYRTON?
jiujitsujedi 1 year ago
@IAMCANADIAN1998
Watch the last show about Ayrton Senna in Top Gear. Clarkson change his mind ;)
brunosaboia 11 months ago
@brunosaboia clarkson has since said lewis hamilton is the best, what's your point, his opinion means nothing.
The difference between Senna and Villeneuve is that Senna was Ruthless, at the end of the day Gilles' rivals not only respected him, but they admired him, something no other driver in F1 history has earned from his rivals.
SuperColossal33 6 months ago
@SuperColossal33 I know his opinion don't mean anything, but I'm replying to someone who agreed with his first position. Jim Clark was also admired and respected by other drivers, like Fangio before him, and like Caracciola before him. What is your point? Gilles was a great driver, of course, but the GREATEST is a very delicate term to use.
brunosaboia 3 months ago
@IAMCANADIAN1998
wrong
now he agrees with all other f1 drivers
that senna was the best.
rastamees 7 months ago
@rastamees Really? Prove he was the best. WHY IS HE THE BEST? ok is a really good driver. but the Best, The most "Crazy" Driver is Gilles
RedhotIta1 6 months ago
@RedhotIta1
go ask any f1 driver
rastamees 6 months ago
@rastamees lol Gilles won only 6 race. Ferrari said "Gilles Villeneuve in Jarama remembered me Tazio Nuvolari" what Ferrari said to senna?
Nice Driver. not Leggnend. "amazing" Remember Different cars different Years,
RedhotIta1 6 months ago
@RedhotIta1
senna won monaco 6 times
rastamees 6 months ago
@rastamees Then? he can win all GP but i didn't said Senna isn't a Champion. For me the numbers not count. Gilles did something magic in F1. They are so different Pilots... cannot compare them.
Gilles was a "Crazy" driver. When had occasion to overtake. He Overtakes.
Senna was a "Intelligent" driver. Overtake only when is sure.
Man this is a Gilles Villeneuve video. if you want to say senna is the best driver, Go away not here.
RedhotIta1 6 months ago
@RedhotIta1
/watch?v=aNmqn3heGgE*
senna overtake when he is sure ?
haha
he won a championsip by crashing another driver
rastamees 6 months ago
@rastamees Lol He wanted to crash ahah Study F1 before say something. Senna wanted a revenge for the 1989 hit by Prost same track at the chicane where was disqualified for Cutting Chicane.
Please do not reply when you are saying false things.
RedhotIta1 6 months ago
@RedhotIta1
yeah whatever
rastamees 6 months ago
You can lament Canada's lack of contribution to the world of racing since Gilles Villeneuve, but perhaps it's because you just can't top that.
Nodgit 2 years ago 5
RIP Gilles, you brilliant bastard. Canada owes you!
Solace2 2 years ago 4
On t'aime Gilles!
tourf 2 years ago 5
This comment has received too many negative votes show
Those are GP cars clarkson...not f1.
No refuelling those days. So no sissy cunt pit strategy to overtake.....fuck that. U want to overtake, do it on track.
maranello55 2 years ago
@maranello55 what are you talking about you tit thats F1 all right. And no there was no refuelling, or even tyre changes, which threw a whole load more variables into the racing than modern races, though that will change slightly with no refuelling next year. Now the FIA just needs to ban tyre stops and bring a couple more tyre manufacturers and F1 will be much more interesting.
crackers250 1 year ago
If I'm not mistaken you're agreeing with him. He's saying, no refuelling is good.
JedSezZed 1 year ago
@crackers250 my mistake....but u misunderstood me on the refuelling
maranello55 1 year ago
Time when pilots were men, with sentiments and daring courage, and not robots ... Thank God I was watching this race live on TV ...
CaxiasFreguesia 2 years ago 5
LOL " but no one cares "
TuneViper 2 years ago 3
Espetacular... Precisamos disso em 2010!
BrasilCtba 2 years ago
This is NOT from Top Gear, it is from one of Jeremy Clarkson's own DVDs. I'm not sure which one... I could find out but frankly can't be arsed to do it. It is definitely NOT from any Top Gear though.
ElhaymRabbit 2 years ago
great driving, great racing and most of all fair racing.
alex85067192 2 years ago
That's racing at his best. Those guys weren't scared.
WorstDriver1393 2 years ago
Hard race, very good to watch actually.(:
MrJuha82 2 years ago
this is a 1979 episode? is that jezzer doing the commentary??
cliffkram 2 years ago
Commentary from a top gear episode. And he talks how raceing was better back then then it is now
falmark187 2 years ago
Now that's racing
Connactzor 2 years ago 3
that is a great race.
hookee 2 years ago 2
ya to scared to scratch their F1s
McLarenXIV 2 years ago
great drivers, real racers :)
kancaras77 2 years ago 4
just... WOOOOW!
Becksman89 2 years ago
Gilles avait des couilles d'acier! Quelle inspiration... Bravo et repose en paix....
legrandcharles 2 years ago 5
Thats a real F1!
Ilovetypography 2 years ago 49
ive they`ve done it in 2009 they got a drive trough -.-
raiknen99 2 years ago 6
AWESOME! I vaguely remember watching that race live with my older brother :-)
RIP Gilles...Tifosi world wide miss you
f1lupo 2 years ago 3
«Par son style flamboyant, sa maîtrise, la manière dont il changeait de vitesse et freinait, il nous montra ce quun pilote devait faire pour défendre sa position ou faire face à une situation inattendue. Il fut un véritable champion et un don au monde entier, apportant la gloire à lécurie Ferrari. Je laimais beaucoup. »
Enzo Ferrari
ostryer61 2 years ago
jeremy is totaly right... i wish they make rules like: "rules from 1988... cars from 1988... everything from 1988... except one thing...
safety rules from 2009... i want cars to look like then... these today are ugly... and whole race goes on without single good fight...
i mean... wtf???
davorsertic 2 years ago 2
Thanks, you made my day... this is what racing should be about!!!!! RIP Gilles
ftp2leta 2 years ago 8
does anyone know which season/episode this is??
ferrariasparta 2 years ago
Well...i say Ayrton Senna still is the best but...Gilles Viluineve deff deserves more credit for what he did...top 5 deffinetly
terga1 2 years ago 3
Things is, "best" doesn't mean much. Who's "best", Claudia Schiffer or Pamela Anderson? What's the criteria, curves or beauty? Asking "who's best" is just the wrong question to ask.
Back to F1 drivers. Who was the fastest of the two? We'll never know. Who was most talented? I'd challenge anyone to come up with objective arguments either way.
Now, who was most exciting to watch racing? Hands down Villeneuve.
dunepassat 2 years ago 3
Yes...i was wrong...agreed...though to me Senna is the more exiting one. Comes down to the taste :)
terga1 2 years ago 2
too band montoya was not there to drive and i wasnt there to watch!
aescobar32 2 years ago 2
il nest pas Canadien il etait Québecois!
hansz54 2 years ago
il était les deux
DallozDoppler 2 years ago
Gil was fast. He was canadian
dewkdogg 2 years ago 2
This has been flagged as spam show
C'est aujourd'hui le 8 mai... Triste anniversaire de la disparition d'un grand pilote. SALUT, GILLES!!!
È oggi il 8 maggio... Triste compleanno della scomparsa di un grande pilota. CIAO, GILLES!!!
Today is May 8... Sad day in our memories, as it is the anniversary day of a great pilot's departure... SALUT, GILLES!!!
MrKabDrivr 2 years ago 4
Its called balls, no room for those in Mr Hamiltons driving suit!!!! As a a Webber watcher from hid formula Ford days, all thats gets big on him is his fat head!!! :p
XXXXShelts 2 years ago
« Je sais bien qu'aucun être humain peut faire des miracles, mais avec Gilles, on se pose parfois des questions »
Jacques Laffite après la victoire de Gilles à Jarama en 1981
ostryer61 2 years ago 12
The reason racing like this never happens anymore is because of the fear of crashing out and losing money and getting a penalty from the stewards.
racrmimbpsvc 2 years ago 10
Yeah, like this years season opener at Albert Park with Vettel and Kubica. . .
Ok, lets change the aerodynamics on the cars, make it easier to pass, have some exictement, but if and when they collide, ( which is pretty damn inevitable) let's fine and penalize the shit out the drivers. . .
Hypocritical FIA. . . -_-
BlueFox284 2 years ago 6
the reason Vettel was penalised was more due to him continuing round the track with a wheel hanging off his car, the actual incident was just racing.
Xfirus 2 years ago
there are many reasons, KERS, the points system which doesn't encourage a win, the cars are sprung to high meaning the draft is weak, the brakes are to strong meaning braking duels are non-existant, the cars are too sensitive the changes in grip levels which means they have to stick to the same line, the cars have also outgrown many of the circuits, they're too fast for them and REFUELLING! which encourages passing in the pits, all these things add up and it'll be better next year...
wolfmother4eva 2 years ago
love to watch villeneuve attack,from inside the first brake was incredible,next lap he try to keep from outside at the end of the..villeneuve absolute master
airtongarbin 2 years ago 6
Sure best F1 battle even seen!!! Unfortunately races today are not the same. 8-(
SenPuntos 2 years ago 6
it's not like every single race in the 70s and 80s were like this, often more than half the cars would drop out and the leading pair would follow suit and unspectacularly cross the finish line in a formation finish, todays racing is still pretty good i still enjoy watching it, there's been some pretty good racing this year and it'll be WAY BETTER next year when refuelling goes out the window, can't wait...
wolfmother4eva 2 years ago
That commentator was spot on with his comments, great video.
illicitstill 2 years ago 8
It's Jeremy Clarkson - its from one of his video's, can't remember which though.
Fusi0nRacing 2 years ago 4
This is REAL racing right there :D
Dafiew 2 years ago 3
We won't ever see that again and you guys should go out and look on the web what rene arnoux said after the race :)
Dafiew 2 years ago
no arguments from me, jeremy much agreed
courtdar 2 years ago 5
wow, clarkson speaks the truth!!!
courtdar 2 years ago 7
Can Clarkson count for me how many overtakings were in Massa vs Kubica battle on Fuji 2007?
spooky1383 3 years ago
That was two out of control drivers in the wet, it hardly compares.
steviejv 3 years ago
I assume you're saying that Massa & Kube were "out of control" You really think Rene & Giles were anything else ? Nobody liked Giles more that I did, but I don't let that get in the way of the facts. Other drivers constantly & openly complained about Rene's behaviour on track & many felt the same about Giles. Giles was a great talent but squandered his F1 career by lunatic driving. He then hurt us so deeply by allowing it to take his life & I am still a little angry with him over it.
gcmc2 2 years ago
no question about its the best ever duel in the history of f1.
these cars and drivers were true blue .
they didnt give a shit about money or fame all they cared about was fighting til the last corner of the last lap .
the sport was raw and real in the 70s today its just mickey mouse cartoon shit ,with assholes who nothing at all in the cockpits just flick a lever behind the steering wheel .love to see shitmacher or hamilton back in this era .they wud be horse whipped by these IMMORTAL GREATS.
jayronnie2 3 years ago 2
Your absolutely right! I do think Lewis could drive with these guys though! I dont know what car it was but he jumped in one of Sterling Moss' old cars last year, started it and took off! Nobody could believe it, I cant remember who owned it but he said that, that was the first person to drive the car that didnt stal it, including the wner who said that he still stals it every time he drives it! I'm not saying he could do it for sure, no questions asked but I think he would get it pretty quick!
craigg1981 3 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
Doesn't it impact on you that you have been roundly condemned here ? Y ou don't know what you are talking about. All suggestions of Giles' greatness are just emotion and nothing else. He was dramatic because he drove like a lunatic ! His son even says so. You compared him to