The 1982 San Marino Grand Prix was shrouded in controversy even before the start. Most of the British FOCA teams boycotted the event in protest at the disqualification of Nelson Piquet’s Brabham and Keke Rosberg’s Williams from the top two places in the Brazilian Grand Prix for brake water-cooling irregularities. As a result only 14 cars stood on the grid at Imola – Ferrari, Renault, Alfa Romeo, Tyrrell (who were only competing because they were sponsored by an Italian washing machine company), ATS, Osella and Toleman.
Despite the fanatical support of the home crowd, the Ferraris of Gilles Villeneuve and Didier Pironi were unable to compete with the Renaults driven by René Arnoux and Alain Prost. Arnoux took pole with Prost half a second slower. Villeneuve and Pironi were third and fourth on the grid, separated by 1.4 seconds, Pironi having survived a hairy high-speed accident during qualifying which saw him fly backwards into a barrier. There is no rule which says that team-mates have to get on – indeed most drivers regard their team-mate as their fiercest rival – but the Ferrari pair got on better than most. Both were highly talented drivers. Pironi was determined and resourceful while Villeneuve was fearless and flamboyant, a throwback to the likes of Nuvolari. Villeneuve was by nature a trusting guy, and he trusted Pironi. On the evening before the race the two men had dinner together with their wives. All was sweetness and light.
Come the off and Arnoux was first away, pursued by Prost, but the latter was passed by the two Ferraris before the end of the opening lap, and when Prost retired with piston failure on lap seven, the leading three were the only serious contenders. The trio were separated by less than a second when, on lap 44 out of 60, Arnoux was forced to retire, his car belching out smoke. This left the Ferraris to win as they pleased, the only threat, apart from some unforeseen mechanical problem, being fuel consumption, since Imola was the thirstiest circuit in Formula One. Villeneuve now assumed the mantle of leader. Eager to conserve fuel, he eased off for a few laps and did not worry when Pironi passed him. The French-Canadian soon regained first place. To the crowd, the pair were simply putting on a show to liven up what might otherwise have turned into a dreary procession.
However, the Ferrari pit, which was without team leader Mauro Forghieri (absent on family business), became concerned that this constant jousting was drinking up the fuel, of which there was only just enough to see them through to the finish even at normal levels of consumption. So they ordered Villeneuve to slow, and he immediately responded by easing off to the tune of two seconds per lap. Ferrari team orders were that the man ahead when the red cars became first and second (in this case Villeneuve) should be the man ahead at the finish. Villeneuve clearly understood that and, backing off as ordered, was not unduly perturbed when Pironi put on a sudden spurt to overtake him again seven laps from the finish. This time the lead was not so easy to retake. On lap 58, Villeneuve drew alongside his team-mate under braking at the right-hander known as Tosa, only to be unceremoniously cut off. But on the following lap, Pironi did let him past. As far as Villeneuve was concerned, that was that. Pironi’s antics had been nothing more than showmanship and now the pair would cruise around for a stress-free one-two. Then as they headed down towards Tosa for the last time at a conservative 180mph (289.7km/h), Pironi suddenly shot past on the approach to the corner, catching Villeneuve totally unawares. The two cars nearly touched. Since that was the last overtaking point on the track, there was no opportunity for Villeneuve to retaliate, and it was Pironi who crossed the line the winner of the 1982 San Marino Grand Prix.
Pironi stood on the victory rostrum waving happily to the crowd but next to him Villeneuve had a face like thunder. He didn’t want to be there at all and had to be persuaded by his wife to appear before the Imola fans. As soon as the ceremony was over, Villeneuve stormed away from the circuit without saying a word to Pironi. In Villeneuve’s opinion, Pironi had stolen the race in an act of treachery. Pironi pleaded his innocence and expressed the hope that he hadn’t upset his team-mate, but Villeneuve did not appear interested in platitudes. He told reporters: ‘The first two or three times he came inside and passed, I thought, well, he wants to play a little bit, and I never defended myself. But him, he was just racing, and I was too stupid to realise it. I thought he was an honest guy …’
They never did make up. Villeneuve was killed while practising for the next Grand Prix at Zolder in Belgium. Some say his mind was still on Imola.