Villeneuve’s legacy makes Canada pole for Ferrari special – Vettel

Sebastian Vettel says his fourth pole position for the Canadian Grand Prix feels more special having achieved it with Ferrari.

Vettel is the first Ferrari driver to take pole position for the race in 17 years. He will lead the field away on the 40th anniversary of Ferrari hero Gilles Villeneuve’s breakthrough home victory in the circuit’s first Formula 1 race.

“Being on pole here with Ferrari means something extra,” said Vettel, who started from pole in Canada three years in a row with Red Bull between 2011 and 2013.

“The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve – I think the meaning of Gilles for the Scuderia Ferrari is huge and I think motorsport in Canada is linked to that name.

“Obviously it’s a great result. [There’s] a lot of Ferrari fans out there, probably a lot of them from back then as well, and their kids.

“So [it’s] great to carry the momentum we’ve had this year in qualifying, even though the last races maybe were a little bit less strong.”

Ferrari has a special following in Canada because of Villeneuve, said Vettel. “The meaning for Scuderia Ferrari in this country is huge with the history.”

“Gilles Villeneuve [was] the favourite driver of Enzo Ferrari and I think his charisma, his character that he brought to Formula One, to racing in general, is still alive today. You can see there’s a lot of flags.

“He left the heritage, so the people who fell in love with motor sport back then, it’s still them hanging around and their kids and maybe grandchildren by now.”

Villeneuve’s son Jacques, the 1997 world champion, will lap the circuit in his father’s car ahead of today’s race.

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