The 1980 Formula 1 Ferrari 312 T5, formerly driven by Gilles Villeneuve, left us speechless. We found ourselves at a loss for words. Personally, it was the most remarkable gift of the 2023 edition of the Historic Minardi Day, held at the Imola circuit during the final weekend of August.
Even though a sticker concealed the chassis number, we are quite confident that this particular model is chassis 048, which happens to be the last of the six examples ever constructed. This is the very car that Gilles Villeneuve famously crashed while going off the track during the 1980 Grand Prix at this circuit, fortunately without any serious consequences. Consequently, that section of the circuit has since been christened the “Villeneuve Curves” in his honor.
In other respects, while we find it visually appealing, this car remains historically uncompetitive, having only earned 8 points during its racing season. It essentially represents an evolution of its predecessor, the 312 T4. However, due to disappointing results, it received only marginal improvements, as the majority of the team’s resources had already been allocated to the subsequent year’s car, the 126 CK.
The absence of ground effect, an oversized engine, and a chassis that didn’t meet the competition’s standards were the primary drawbacks of this single-seater. From a mechanical perspective, it is equipped with the Type 015 engine, a naturally aspirated 3.0-liter 12-cylinder “flat” engine, mated to a 5-speed transversal gearbox. Featuring a lightweight alloy monocoque and aluminum panels, the car tips the scales at just under 600 kg.
Our heartfelt thanks go out to the Modena Motorsport team from Germany for bringing this iconic vehicle to the track, much to the delight of all the devoted fans in attendance.
— see video above —
