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 on Saturday or 7pm on Sunday
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Damon Hill and Karun Chandhok praise ‘very powerful’ documentary Villeneuve Pironi: Racing’s Untold Tragedy ahead of release on Sky Sports F1
Damon Hill and Karun Chandhok praise ‘very powerful’ documentary Villeneuve Pironi: Racing’s Untold Tragedy ahead of release on Sky Sports F1
Former world champion Damon Hill has praised the “sensitive” retelling of one of Formula 1’s most tragic stories ahead of Villeneuve Pironi’s release: Racing’s Untold Tragedy.
The documentary, which premiered on Sky Sports F1 And Sky documentaries straight after qualifying for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix at 6.30pm on Saturday, tells the story of a friendship turned feud between Ferrari drivers Gilles Villeneuve and Didier Pironi, which preceded their untimely deaths.
Featuring interviews with the families of both riders, the documentary centers on the 1982 San Marino Grand Prix at Imola, during which a controversial incident saw the sudden breakdown of their relationship.
Through gripping archive footage, interviews with Jacques Villeneuve (Gilles’ son) and fellow F1 world champions Alain Prost and Sir Jackie Stewart, the in-depth story of their rise to glory culminating in this infamous and tragic 1982 season is revealed.
“It’s weird to talk about the highlights because it’s actually a tragic story, and unfortunately those two pilots are no longer with us,” Hill told the Sky Sports F1 Podcast.
“Gilles, he was a legendary driver, the starting point was his spunk and his way of driving and his lack of fear. He was crazy fast.
“Then he entered into a relationship in the team with Pironi, and it’s a story of that friendship, the bond that they had badly severed, and ultimately maybe some of the energy that has been in the Gilles’ accident.
“He told the story very well and with great sensitivity.”
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 kind of weird watching these movies when you know how it ends,” Chandhok said.
“For me at least, it was the first time that I had heard the whole family talk about the events in such detail. Jacques himself has always been very closed to the idea of talking about his father, but he has some spoken with great eloquence.
Hill, who drove alongside Jacques Villeneuve at Williams in 1996, added: “It was fascinating to listen to what Jacques had to say about his father and to admit that in some ways, on some occasions, he was afraid of his father.
“His father was a very straightforward person, a very honest person, and it was all well commented on and comes out 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