Former F1 driver Gilles Villeneuve named historic figure in Quebec

MONTRÉAL — Quebec Premier Christine Fréchette has named the late Formula One driver Gilles Villeneuve a historic figure of Quebec.

Fréchette made the announcement Friday as the Canadian Grand Prix weekend kicked off in Montreal.

“It was a long-overdue gesture that had been eagerly awaited and which, fortunately, is finally coming to fruition today,” the premier said standing next to Villeneuve’s family near the F1 track named after the former racer.

The government names people as historic figures if they played a significant role in Quebec history and are part of the Québécois collective memory.

Villeneuve died at age 34 after a collision in a race to qualify for the Belgian Grand Prix in 1982. He first gained attention as a snowmobile racer and became a local sensation after he beat several F1 drivers during a Formula Atlantic race in Trois-Rivières, Que., in 1976.

The following year, he won his first Grand Prix driving a Ferrari in Montreal.

The son of a piano tuner and a seamstress, Villeneuve’s path to F1 was unconventional. His untimely death contributed to making him an icon of motor racing.

“Thanks to him, Quebec has shone on the world stage, and Quebecers have been, and continue to be, very proud of him,” Fréchette said.

His son is former F1 champion Jacques Villeneuve.

A biopic based on Gilles Villeneuve’s life is set to be released in cinemas in November.

Events for the Canadian Grand Prix run until Sunday at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 22, 2026.

— With files from Tommy Thurber in Montreal

The Canadian Press