Born |
Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec, Canada |
4 November 1953
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Formula One World Championship career | |
Nationality | Canadian |
Active years | 1981, 1983 |
Teams | Arrows, RAM |
Entries | 3 (0 starts) |
Championships | 0 |
Wins | 0 |
Podiums | 0 |
Career points | 0 |
Pole positions | 0 |
Fastest laps | 0 |
First entry | 1981 Canadian Grand Prix |
Last entry | 1983 Canadian Grand Prix |
1983 position | NC (0 points) |
Jacques-Joseph Villeneuve also known as Jacquo or Uncle Jacques (in French L'oncle Jacques) (born November 4, 1953) is a Canadian racer. He is the younger brother of the late Gilles Villeneuve, and uncle to Jacques Villeneuve (1997 F1 world champion). He was born in the small town of Berthierville, Quebec, Canada. He is now frequently known as Uncle Jacques because of the rise of his nephew. He had a varied motorsport career, taking in Formula Atlantic, CART, Can-Am, snowmobile racing and Formula One, and remains a revered figure in Canadian motorsport circles. Villeneuve was the first three time winner of the World Championship Snowmobile Derby.
Villeneuve started out racing snowmobiles and he has continued to race in snowmobile events throughout his career. He moved into saloon racing in Canada, winning a Honda Civic series and many races from 1976 to 1978. He then stepped up to the open-wheeler Formula Ford category, and then Formula Atlantic, where he took Rookie of the Year in 1979, then consecutive titles in 1980 and 1981. He also won the World Championship Snowmobile Derby in 1980. At the end of 1981, he took a pair of drives for the Arrows Formula One team, but failed to qualify for the Canadian Grand Prix, or the Caesars Palace Grand Prix.
In 1979 he competed in the Cannonball Baker Sea-To-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash in a Porsche 928 co-piloted by John Lane (Gilles Villeneuve's sponsor and friend).