New Book Review: Gilles Villeneuve – His untold life from Berthierville to Zolder by Károly Méhes

The elevation of first year rookie Charles Leclerc to the main works Ferrari team next year breaks the traditional preference of the Scuderia for pairing mature experienced drivers together. I think Leclerc will perform surprisingly well at the team just like another former rookie move to Ferrari – the legendary Gilles Villeneuve. A great read on Gilles is the recently released book – “Gilles Villeneuve – His Untold Life from Berthierville to Zolder” by Hungarian motorsport journalist and self-confessed Gilles fan, Károly Méhes.

This book is actually an updated edition to the author’s 2014 book of the same title. I haven’t read the earlier 2014 edition (which was 192 pages with 44 interviews) so I can’t visually compare both editions other than being aware that this new release contains 48 interviews and additional new photos.

The format and style of the book reminds me a lot of the Ronnie Peterson biography and Christopher Hilton’s Memories of Ayrton and Memories of James Hunt. There are no strict chapters but rather a collection of Q&A interviews with an curious mix of personalties including fellow drivers (Patrick Tambay, Rene Arnoux, Andrea de Cesaris, Jody Scheckter, Alan Jones, Nigel Mansell, Fittipaldi, Andretti, Derek Warwick, John Watson), Ferrari team members, team principals (Walter Wolff), journalists and family members (his wife and son Jacques). There is a very interesting spread of the people that have been interviewed from Enzo Ferrari’s secretary, Gilles’ personal sponsor from the Giacobazzi family, Bernie Ecclestone and Gilles’ Ferrari mechanic and race engineer.

It’s kind of poignant to read the views of Jochen Mass (involved in Gilles Zolder accident) and Gilles’ wife Joan (especially her views on Didier and Marco Piccini). I was hoping the interview with Mauro Forghieri would be more informative. The middle section of the book contains many interviews of F1 journalists and photographers who knew Gilles – although some of this Q&A offered very useful insight stories, non-Gilles readers might find less attachment to this section than the interviews with family and more well known F1 personalities. In fact, I did a second reading of the book in reverse from back to front and I think the family interviews with Joan, Jacques and Jochen Mass would be better in the front rather than the rear of the book.

Aside from a few grainy photos, the photographs in this book are excellent and largely from private personal collections which have previously not been published. There is a mix of layouts and plenty of on track action colour photos.

As a Gilles fan and a personal liking for Q&A interview style books, I found this 2018 edition book to be a very enjoyable read. Readers that are unfamiliar with Gilles Villeneuve would be better served reading the definitive Gilles biography – Gerald Donaldson’s “Gilles Villeneuve”, which provides a more traditional and in-depth chronicled narrative of Gilles’ career.

In many ways, Donaldson’s well researched biography and the photo rich content of Károly Méhes book are ideal companion pieces for Gilles Villeneuve fans.

All in all, a great read.

Suitable for: Gilles fans and tifosi.
Wow Factor/Money Shot: Interview with Joan Villeneuve, Brenda Vernor, Antonio Tomaini and the dust cover design!

Editor Note: Review copy courtesy of Pitch Publishing UK