STORY OF THE DAY: Second Place and a Partnership Broken

On 25 April 1982, Gilles Villeneuve finished second in the San Marino Grand Prix at Imola in Ferrari 126 C2 number 27. Teammate Didier Pironi won, completing a Ferrari one-two in a World Championship race weakened by the withdrawal of many British-aligned teams amid Formula One’s political dispute.

After both Renaults retired, the Ferraris held a commanding advantage. The team displayed a signal instructing its drivers to slow, principally to conserve fuel and protect the cars. Villeneuve understood that positions would be maintained; Pironi continued to challenge and passed him at Tosa on the final lap. Their conflicting interpretations destroyed the trust between them.

The 126 C2 paired Ferrari’s powerful twin-turbocharged 1.5-litre V6 with a lighter, stiffer chassis constructed from aluminium honeycomb panels. Developed under Harvey Postlethwaite’s technical direction, it represented a substantial improvement in handling and aerodynamic efficiency over the preceding 126 CK.

Quebec-born Villeneuve joined Ferrari in 1977 and became closely identified with the Scuderia through his bravery and loyalty. He regarded the Imola finish as a personal betrayal rather than an ordinary defeat. His death during qualifying in Belgium two weeks later ensured that this unresolved dispute became inseparable from his final Grand Prix.