The tragic story of the relationship between Ferrari teammates Gilles Villeneuve and Didier Pironi is finally revealed; Watch Villeneuve Pironi: Racing’s Untold Tragedy on Sky Sports F1 and Sky Documentaries at 6.30pm Saturday or 7pm Sunday
Former world champion Damon Hill praised the “sensitive” retelling of one of Formula 1’s most tragic stories ahead of the release of Villeneuve Pironi: Racing’s Untold Tragedy.
The documentary, which opens on sky sports f1 and sky documentaries Just after qualifying for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix on Saturday at 6:30pm, it tells the story of a friendship turned feud between Ferrari drivers Gilles Villeneuve and Didier Pironi, leading up to their untimely deaths.
Featuring interviews with the families of both drivers, the documentary focuses on the 1982 San Marino Grand Prix at Imola, during which a controversial incident led to a sudden break in their relationship.
Through captivating archival footage, interviews with Jacques Villeneuve (son of Gilles) and F1 World Champions Alain Prost and Sir Jackie Stewart, the deep story of his rise to glory culminating in that infamously tragic season of racing is revealed. 1982.
“It feels strange to talk about the highlights because it’s actually a tragic story and those two drivers are sadly no longer with us,” Hill said. Sky Sports F1 Podcast.
“Gilles, he was a legendary driver, the starting point was his dynamism and the way he drove and his lack of fear. He was unbelievably fast.”
“He then developed a relationship in the team with Pironi, and it’s a story of that friendship, the bond that had been broken and ultimately may have been part of the energy that was used in Gilles’ crash.
“He told the story very well and very sensitively.”
Sky Sports F1’s Karun Chandhok, who attended a screening of the documentary alongside Hill in London on Tuesday, described it as “a very powerful emotional roller coaster in many ways.”
“It’s always a bit strange to see those movies when we know how it ends,” Chandhok said.
“For me, at least, it was the first time I had heard the whole family talk about the events in such detail. Jacques himself has always been very closed when talking about his father, but he spoke very eloquently.”
Hill, who drove alongside Jacques Villeneuve at Williams in 1996, added: “It was fascinating to hear what Jacques had to say about his father and to admit that in some ways, at times, he was afraid of his father.
“His father was a very direct person, a very honest person, and all of that was well commented and it appears in the story.”
Watch Villeneuve Pironi: Racing’s Untold Tragedy on Sky Sports F1 and Sky Documentaries at 6:30pm on Saturday or 7pm on Sunday. Get Sky Sports
