Gilles Villeneuve Remembered

Former Formula One world champion Jacques Villeneuve marked the 30th anniversary of his father Gilles' death by taking his famous Ferrari 312 T4 for a spin at Fiorano, near Modena.

The younger Villeneuve, who won the 1997 F1 championship before driving in the United States, was helping to mark the opening of an exhibition in his father's memory.

The elder Villeneuve drove the 312 T4 in 1979 when he achieved his best result, finishing second in the championship behind team-mate Jody Scheckter.

He won three Grand Prix races that season out of six in total during his five years as a racer. He died in 1982 after crashing during qualifying for the Belgian Grand Prix at Zolder while still racing for Ferrari.

The Canadian's wife Joanne and daughter Melanie joined Jacques for the ceremony, which was also attended by current Ferrari drivers Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa as well as Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo.

Di Montezemolo had fond memories of Jacques' father.

"I remember when (the founder of Ferrari) Enzo Ferrari told me he had found a youngster with a great temperament and talent who was racing snow mobiles in Canada," he added.

"He had a pre-contract with McLaren but The Drake (Ferrari) wanted to bring some new blood into the team. He was an amazing driver and man."

Ferrari also paid tribute to their former driver on their official website.

"His memory is still vivid and alive in the minds of many at Maranello (Ferrari's home); his talent, his speed, his bravery which bordered on recklessness, all go to make his name still hugely popular with our fans, even among younger ones who have only been able to see him on replays of his races or read about him in stories written by journalists."

OSM news service

Villeneuve Criticises Quebec Students

Former Formula One champion Jacques Villeneuve criticised Quebec's student protesters Thursday after they tried to disrupt a cocktail party kicking off Canadian Grand Prix festivities.

The student protest movement has received enthusiastic endorsements from many Quebec celebrities and near-unanimous support from the artistic community. But the Quebec-born, Monaco-raised Villeneuve just might have become the most famous, most virulent new critic.

"It's time for people to wake up and stop loafing about. It's lasted long enough," Villeneuve told reporters at the cocktail benefit. "We heard them. We listened. They should stop. It's costing the city a fortune. It makes no sense."

As for their parents, Villeneuve said: "I think these people grew up without ever hearing their parents ever tell them, 'No.' So that's what you see in the streets now. People spending their time complaining. It's becoming a little bit ridiculous. They spoke, we heard, and now it's time to go back to school."

At the start of the demonstration before the cocktail party, police swept in and surrounded the protesters, many of them masked or wearing black, as the group approached a barrier about 100 yards from the party. About 20 people were arrested and police said they confiscated light bulbs filled with paint.

Villeneuve said in a democracy, people can vote, and speak their mind between elections to make themselves heard -- but they have to know when to give it a rest.

"That's what democracy is. We vote for people -- and if you're not happy, then you vote for other people the next time around. And if you're not happy you complain, they listen, and that's it," he said.

"Same with your parents: 'Daddy, mommy, I don't like this.' Well, go back to bed now."

Villeneuve said he was raised to believe in hard work, and not to imagine money will fall from the sky.

He also compared the students to the London rioters last year and said they were "rebels without a cause."

In the end, he said, the students are hurting themselves because they're pushing for things that aren't fiscally sustainable -- and they'll end up paying one day. Unfortunately, he said, if they keep it up there will be fewer taxpayers around to help foot the bill.

"And where does the government get the money? From taxes, from selling stuff. The next thing they will say is, 'Well, take it from the rich,'" he said. "And that's when you have the rich moving to another country."

The Formula One race usually attracts 300,000 people -- many of them tourists. The protesters have promised to disrupt Grand Prix-related events -- some out of opposition to tuition hikes, others out of opposition to capitalist practices.