Canadian GP: Charles Leclerc will wear Gilles Villeneuve tribute helmet after talks with family
- Published
Charles Leclerc spoke to Gilles Villeneuve's widow Joann and daughter Melanie before qualifying for the Canadian Grand Prix on Saturday
Canadian Grand Prix |
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Venue: Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Montreal Dates: 16-18 June |
Coverage: Live text commentary and radio commentary of all sessions on the BBC Sport website & app, with live commentary of the race on BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds app from 19:00 on Sunday. Full details |
Charles Leclerc will wear a helmet in tribute to Gilles Villeneuve at the Canadian Grand Prix after talks with the Ferrari legend's family.
Villeneuve's son Jacques, the 1997 world champion, said it was a "shock" to see Leclerc with the helmet because the family had not been consulted.
Villeneuve spoke to Leclerc to raise issues around trademarks and sponsors.
Leclerc posed for photos with Gilles Villeneuve's widow Joann and daughter Melanie before qualifying in Montreal.
Gilles Villeneuve became a Formula 1 legend for his exploits with Ferrari, for whom he drove from the late part of the 1977 season until his death in a crash at the 1982 Belgian Grand Prix.
He has become an icon renowned as one of the fastest drivers ever seen in F1, and for his on-the-limit style.
Many see similar qualities in Leclerc, Ferrari's lead driver since he joined the team in 2019 and supplanted four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel.
Melanie Villeneuve, who controls her father's image rights on behalf of their family, told motorsport.com: "Charles was very sweet about it. We have no objections. It is a nice tribute."
The Canadian Grand Prix takes place at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, which was named after the legendary driver following his death in 1982
On Sunday, Jacques Villeneuve posted on Instagram to "clarify the situation" after "some individuals felt the need to insult me and my family over Charles Leclerc using my dad's helmet".
He added: "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 apologised 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."
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