Step inside new exhibit honouring Gilles Villeneuve

Formula One fans have a new destination as an exhibition celebrating the life and career of Quebec's iconic racing legend, Gilles Villeneuve, has opened at Parc Jean-Drapeau.

Nearly 45 years after his death, Villeneuve continues to inspire racing enthusiasts. The exhibition offers an intimate look at his journey from a young racer in Quebec to one of Formula One's most celebrated drivers. The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve itself has borne his name since 1982, and this exhibit aims to tell the public the story behind that honor.

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The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve has been named after him since 1982, so we wanted to have that story told to the public so that people understand why we have Gilles Villeneuve named on our sticker.

Curated with items from the family's private archive, the exhibition includes personal photographs, rare archival footage, and significant memorabilia. Visitors can see items that trace Villeneuve's path, including elements from his early Formula Atlantic days, racing suits, and helmets, providing context beyond just his Formula One victories.

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Sometimes you see exhibits that talk about my dad, and sometimes they have the Ferraris and other items from Formula One, but less so items like the Formula Atlantics, or the suits or the helmets that he wore back in the day, and how he came to be a driver.

Melanie Villeneuve, Gilles Villeneuve's daughter, shared that the exhibition allowed her to reconnect with her father, noting the inclusion of family photos and details about his early career. She also observed his distinctive long hair and "almost hippie kind of look" in some images, which transports her back to a different era.

Earlier this year, Quebec officially recognized Gilles Villeneuve as a historic figure, acknowledging his racing accomplishments and the lasting mark he left on the province's sporting heritage. The exhibition, located near the circuit named in his honor, will run until late December.

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All the photography that you see here is from the family archive. And so it allowed me to go back to sources that I hadn’t seen in a while. When I see his long hair, his almost hippie kind of look, it throws me back to a different context, a different era.