Canadian professional racing driver Jacques Villeneuve has made an effort to clarify the surrounding topic concerning Scuderia Ferrari Monegasque driver Charles Leclerc’s special helmet design for this weekend in Montreal, which pays tribute to his father, the renowned Formula 1 driver Gilles Villeneuve. Prior to the Canadian Grand Prix, Charles Leclerc presented a helmet design that replicated the one worn by his father, who the Montreal circuit is named after due to his first victory for Ferrari at the track in 1978, followed by the venue being dedicated to him after his tragic passing at the 1982 Belgian Grand Prix in Zolder.
During the early stages of the Montreal weekend, Charles Leclerc initially used the red-and-black helmet design, but later switched to a predominantly red design for Free Practice 2 and 3. Ultimately, he once again opted for the Villeneuve tribute design during the Qualifying session for the Canadian Grand Prix.
Jacques mentioned that the Villeneuve family was not consulted before the use of the helmet design. However, Charles Leclerc expressed his apologies and adhered to Jacques’ advice of inviting the family to the Montreal circuit for a discussion on this topic.
In a statement released on social media ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix, Jacques expressed that he and his family have faced insults following the incident, and he believed that the situation has escalated into an “unnecessary controversy.”
Here is the full official statement of Jacques Villeneuve:
“To clarify the situation regarding the recent incident where some individuals felt the need to insult me and my family over Charles Leclerc using my dad’s helmet, I want to provide some context:
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“As I was arriving at the track, my sister called me in a state of anger. She had seen Charles using our dad’s helmet without any prior knowledge or communication about it. The entire family was taken by surprise, as we had not been informed beforehand.
“I Immediately conveyed the message to Charles, who was kind enough to give me a call. We had a heartfelt conversation where he sincerely apologized for the situation. I reassured him that I considered it a touching tribute and that I personally had no issues with it.
“However, I stressed the importance of him reaching out to my sister, as she is the one responsible for managing everything related to our dad. I also suggested that he invite both my sister and mother to the track to address any remaining concerns.
“Fortunately, everything eventually worked out, but it would have been preferable for these discussions and arrangements to take place before the weekend in a respectful and professional manner. Unfortunately, the incident was blown out of proportion, turning it into an unnecessary controversy…”
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