Memories of Gilles still race on...

©ErcoleColombo

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It's hard to believe, but it's been 44 years since Formula 1 lost one of its most iconic stars in its over seventy-five year storied history.

Gilles Villeneuve died on this day in 1982 in a terrible crash at Zolder during qualifying for the Belgian Grand Prix, aged just 32.

Considered by many as one of the best drivers never to win the world championship, the Canadian's "maximum attack" approach to racing endeared him to all, including to many of his rivals.

On the day of Villeneuve's funeral in Quebec, his former Ferrari team mate Jody Scheckter delivered a fitting eulogy:

"I’ll miss Gilles for two reasons. First, he was the most genuine man I have ever known. Second, he was the fastest racing driver in the history of motor racing".

©Paul-Henri Cahier

Andrew Lewin

Andrew first became a fan of Formula 1 during the time when Michael Schumacher and Damon Hill were stepping into the limelight after the era of Alain Prost, Nigel Mansell and Aryton Senna. He's been addicted ever since, and has been writing about the sport now for nearly a quarter of a century for a number of online news sites. He's also written professionally about GP2 (now Formula 2), GP3, IndyCar, World Rally Championship, MotoGP and NASCAR. In his other professional life, Andrew is a freelance writer, social media consultant, web developer/programmer, and digital specialist in the fields of accessibility, usability, IA, online communities and public sector procurement. He worked for many years in magazine production at Bauer Media, and for over a decade he was part of the digital media team at the UK government's communications department. Born and raised in Essex, Andrew currently lives and works in south-west London.