Canal+ and Alpine offered Jacques Villeneuve a Formula 1 test drive

Jacques Villeneuve raced in F1! It had been since 2006 that the Canadian driver, world champion in 1997, had not raced in F1. Now 51 years old, Canal+ and Alpine have come together to offer a beautiful tribute to Villeneuve on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of his Formula 1 victory.

In 1997, in a duel with Michael Schumacher, Jacques Villeneuve won the championship in the final race of the season behind the wheel of a Williams-Renault. Alpine and Renault have therefore decided to return the favor by providing him with an A521, driven by Esteban Ocon last year. Esteban Ocon was actually present during Villeneuve’s tests in Monza to assist with the adjustment of the car’s settings and offer some advice.

Alan Permane, currently the sporting director of Alpine, was also present. 25 years ago, he was the track engineer for Jacques Villeneuve. The full video of the Canal+ documentary:

Note that Julien Fébreau and several other drivers were able to drive during this session, including the comedian and driver Stéphane De Groodt, as well as the streamer and digital creator Squeezie.

Another more comprehensive documentary will be unveiled later in the season about the prowl of De Groodt and Fébreau.