Gilles, 21 years

please leave JV attacks for another thread

I was sadly born too late to witness this racer drive, but thanks to videos and books, I can now attest Gilles was the best racer ever.

RIP Gilles.

Gilles was of different ilk. I was lucky enough to see him drive, in Atlantics and F1. During his ascendence, my father was National Race Director and helped form the Player's Atlantic Series. His friend was the chief scruntineer. Gilles, Joanne and family used to camp beside us at the races that we would take the trailer to. He was a very serious guy at times, but could also be quite funny.

I remember at Trois Rivieres in 75' standing there as a kid, with my Dad, Romer and GV. Romer was taking the **** out of him for wrecking two cars in practise, and driving well over the limits. In a rather straight face he quickly retorted, "well if I don't go over the limits, how will I know where they are?"

A great loss for us all, he should have been a WDC. Cheers.

The man who got me addicted to this sport.
:(

Gilles, was one of my favourite drivers.

RIP Gilles :(

There was no one braver. He will always be my hero.

As Jacques Laffite was heard to say at a very wet Watkins Glen..."I don't know why we bother, he is just in a different league then the rest of us."

Unfortunately, I can remember exactly where I was and what I was doing when I heard the news, same with Ayrton, but at least I can also say I saw him race in person, and I haven't forgotten that, either.

R.I.P.

:)

i never saw gille race but in told jv is his fathers son

Originally posted by TALAMASCA
i never saw gille race but in told jv is his fathers son

I'm sorry but I dont think JV is in the same league as Gilles.

Gilles: The greatest racer there ever was.

Certainly the _purest_ racer since Nuvolari.

I never got to see Gilles race, I've only seen video clips, but the legend speaks for itself.

I've said it before, what make a truly great driver are the legends. Fangio had the Nurburgring '57, Rosemeyer had the fogged-in '36 Eiffel GP, Senna had Monaco '84 and Donnington, Nuvolari the '48 Mille Miglia...

Gilles has no less than 5 legends to his name! Watkins Glen qualifying, the blowout/incredible save/3-wheeled lap/yelling at the mechanics at Zandvoort (my sig!), the battle with Arnoux, the freight train at Jarama, and the short-lived feud with Pironi.

The man was simply everything that modern F1 is not: Fearless, fair, and genuinely good-natured.

Imagine the legends if they'd had Spa and the Nurburgring when Gilles was racing. :)

Dont forget his Monaco win, when there was no way he should have been able to win in that unweildy turbo Ferrari, and Silverstoine in 1977 when in his first practice he deliberatly spun on every corner saying it was the quickest way to find the limit.

...and I remember one amazing hunting on Reutteman ! Can't remember where (Monza ?), but Reutteman missed the corner and entered in an alternative track swinging through the plastic piles followed by Gilles ! FANTASTIC !!!

Yes, Gilles is truly one of the legends. He died doing what he spent his whole career doing - getting 110% out of cars that were not up to the job. No one since has had the same courage, car control, skill and guts (not even JV who I admire and respect). He is so much of the Ferrari legend, not to mention the #27 legend.

a legend

Dijon 79 is such a classic

Direct Film! I remember them!

Unfortunately, Gilles died a few days before I was born, and I never had the chance to see him race in person like so many other lucky ones. He's a legend, larger than life.