Villeneuve Jacques(Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, 09/04/1971)

Jacques Villeneuve (Jacques Joseph Charles Villeneuve), born on 9 April 1971 in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu (Quebec, Canada), is a former Canadian racing driver (also holding Italian citizenship), remembered for combining top-level success in North America and Formula 1, culminating in a world championship title.

The son of Gilles Villeneuve, he grew up in an environment deeply rooted in motorsport and built his early career through karting and initial single-seater experiences, moving between European and North American programmes before finding his ideal platform in open-wheel racing overseas. His major breakthrough came in the mid-1990s, when he firmly entered the ranks of leading teams and major international stages.

The year 1995 proved decisive: Villeneuve won the 1995 Indianapolis 500 and also claimed the 1995 CART Championship, achieving a rare double in American open-wheel racing and immediately attracting the attention of the Formula 1 paddock.

His Formula 1 debut came in 1996 with Williams, and the impact was immediate. In his first full season he fought at the front, secured victories and remained in championship contention until the final third of the season. In 1997 he completed the picture: in a campaign defined by a direct duel with Michael Schumacher, Villeneuve reached the peak of his career by becoming 1997 World Champion. During those two seasons, beyond the results, he also left a mark through outright speed and an ability to maximise key weekends.

After the golden era with Williams, he faced more challenging technical and competitive years. From 1999 he became the lead driver for British American Racing (BAR), an ambitious project marked by inconsistent performance, where Villeneuve remained for several seasons without returning to victory. He later raced briefly for Renault, then for Sauber in 2005 and BMW Sauber in 2006, bringing his Formula 1 career to an end midway through that season. Overall, his Formula 1 record includes 11 victories, 13 pole positions and 23 podiums.

After Formula 1, Villeneuve continued racing selectively in touring cars, stock cars and prototypes, combining competition with media work. Among his most notable post-F1 results was victory at the 2008 1000 km of Spa with the Peugeot 908 in a high-level endurance context.

Away from the cockpit, Villeneuve has also been involved in motorsport infrastructure projects, most notably contributing to the development of Area 27, a private circuit complex in Canada dedicated to his father’s memory. On a personal level, he is a family man and has maintained a public profile connected both to racing and sports communication.

Regarding his role in the modern paddock, the last verifiable official appointment is his nomination as Williams ambassador for 2025, alongside work as a television analyst during the 2025 season.

GP Results

GP/Points Graph

Year	Team	Chassis	Points
2006	BMW	F1.06	7
2005	Sauber	C24	9
2004	Renault	R24	0
2003	BAR	BAR 005	6
2002	BAR	004	4
2001	BAR	003	12
2000	BAR	002	17
1999	BAR	01	0

* World Championships with at least 1 point won (since 2001)

Year	Team	Teammate	Win
2005	Sauber Petronas (C24)	Massa F.	1 VS 18
2004	Mild Seven Renault F1 (R24)	Alonso F.	1 VS 2
2003	Lucky Strike BAR Honda (BAR 005)	Button J.	0 VS 15
2002	Lucky Strike BAR Honda (004)	Panis O.	11 VS 6
2001	British American Racing Honda (003)	Panis O.	11 VS 6
Total			24 VS 47

Grand Prix	Team	Chassis	Pos.
British GP 2006	BMW Sauber F1 Team	F1.06	8
European GP 2006	BMW Sauber F1 Team	F1.06	8
Australian GP 2006	BMW Sauber F1 Team	F1.06	6
Malaysian GP 2006	BMW Sauber F1 Team	F1.06	7
Chinese GP 2005	Sauber Petronas	C24	10
Belgian GP 2005	Sauber Petronas	C24	6
French GP 2005	Sauber Petronas	C24	8
Canadian GP 2005	Sauber Petronas	C24	9
San Marino GP 2005	Sauber Petronas	C24	4
Brazilian GP 2004	Mild Seven Renault F1	R24	10
Japanese GP 2004	Mild Seven Renault F1	R24	10
Italian GP 2003	Lucky Strike BAR Honda	BAR 005	6
German GP 2003	Lucky Strike BAR Honda	BAR 005	9
British GP 2003	Lucky Strike BAR Honda	BAR 005	10
French GP 2003	Lucky Strike BAR Honda	BAR 005	9
Brazilian GP 2003	Lucky Strike BAR Honda	BAR 005	6
Australian GP 2003	Lucky Strike BAR Honda	BAR 005	9
Australian GP 2002	Lucky Strike BAR Honda	004	10
United States GP 2002	Lucky Strike BAR Honda	004	6
Italian GP 2002	Lucky Strike BAR Honda	004	9
Belgian GP 2002	Lucky Strike BAR Honda	004	8
British GP 2002	Lucky Strike BAR Honda	004	4
Austrian GP 2002	Lucky Strike BAR Honda	004	10
Spanish GP 2002	Lucky Strike BAR Honda	004	7
San Marino GP 2002	Lucky Strike BAR Honda	004	7
Brazilian GP 2002	Lucky Strike BAR Honda	004	10
Malaysian GP 2002	Lucky Strike BAR Honda	004	8
European GP 2001	British American Racing Honda	003	9
Japanese GP 2001	British American Racing Honda	003	10
Italian GP 2001	British American Racing Honda	003	6
Belgian GP 2001	British American Racing Honda	003	8
Hungarian GP 2001	British American Racing Honda	003	9
German GP 2001	British American Racing Honda	003	3
British GP 2001	British American Racing Honda	003	8
Monaco GP 2001	British American Racing Honda	003	4
Austrian GP 2001	British American Racing Honda	003	8
Spanish GP 2001	British American Racing Honda	003	3
Brazilian GP 2001	British American Racing Honda	003	7
Malaysian GP 2000	Lucky Strike BAR F1 Team	002	5
Japanese GP 2000	Lucky Strike BAR F1 Team	002	6
United States GP 2000	Lucky Strike BAR F1 Team	002	4
Belgian GP 2000	Lucky Strike BAR F1 Team	002	7
German GP 2000	Lucky Strike BAR F1 Team	002	8
Austrian GP 2000	Lucky Strike BAR F1 Team	002	4
French GP 2000	Lucky Strike BAR F1 Team	002	4
Monaco GP 2000	Lucky Strike BAR F1 Team	002	7
San Marino GP 2000	Lucky Strike BAR F1 Team	002	5
Australian GP 2000	Lucky Strike BAR F1 Team	002	4
Japanese GP 1999	British American Racing	01	9
European GP 1999	British American Racing	01	10
Italian GP 1999	British American Racing	01	8

* Grand prix finishes in the top 10 (since 2001)

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