Jacques Villeneuve

Canadian Formula 1 driver who won the 1997 World Drivers' Championship and remains the only driver to win both the Indianapolis 500 and F1 title

Jacques Joseph Charles Villeneuve was born on 9 April 1971 in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec, Canada, the son of Formula One driver Gilles Villeneuve, and was raised largely in Monaco. When Jacques was 11, his father was killed during qualifying for the 1982 Belgian Grand Prix, a tragedy that profoundly shaped his own eventual path into the sport. Villeneuve began racing under an Andorran licence in Italian Formula Three before moving to North American open-wheel racing, winning the 1995 CART Championship and the Indianapolis 500 in the same season — becoming only the third driver in history, after Mario Andretti and Emerson Fittipaldi, to combine an Indy 500 win with a subsequent Formula One title. Villeneuve moved to Formula One with Williams in 1996, challenging teammate Damon Hill for the title in his debut season before winning the championship outright in 1997 in a dramatic season-ending battle with Michael Schumacher at Jerez, where Schumacher's attempt to collide with Villeneuve backfired and cost him the title. Villeneuve remains the only Canadian driver ever to win the Formula One World Championship or the Indianapolis 500, and continued racing in the sport until 2006 with BAR, Renault, and Sauber, later pursuing a career as a musician alongside his motorsport ventures.

Aggressive, fearless driving style inherited from father

Last Canadian to win F1 championship, versatile racer across multiple series

• Formula 1 World Champion 1997 (Williams)
• CART IndyCar Series Champion 1995
• Indianapolis 500 Winner 1995
• 24 Hours of Le Mans GT class Winner 1997
• British American Racing Team Co-Founder and Driver 1999
• Formula Atlantic Champion 1993
• Formula 1 Rookie of the Year 1996
• PPG Cup (CART) Champion 1995