Forty years on from the infamous and tragic 1982 Formula One season, the families of Canadian icon Gilles Villeneuve & French superstar Didier Pironi unite for the first time to reveal one of sport’s greatest untold stories.
In the midst of modern racing’s most dangerous era, two daring Ferrari teammates were battling for the world championship, but at the San Marino Grand Prix Pironi broke an unwritten agreement, “stealing” victory from his close friend Villeneuve on the final lap.
This act of “betrayal” broke a sacred bond and their relationship soon spiralled into a vengeful rivalry. Villeneuve and Pironi would never speak to each other again, and within a matter of weeks, tragedy would strike.
For four decades, rumour, bitterness, and myth has surrounded that duel in San Marino and its aftermath. In a plot laden with mystery and intrigue, each compelling twist and turn is revealed as the film uncovers the truth behind that unwritten agreement on the last fateful lap.
Villeneue Pironi is a modern-day Shakespearean epic. It is the story of two of the fastest racers in history, their brief and violent intertwined lives, and the emotional scars still felt today by their closest loved ones. Above all, it is a life-affirming film that explores love, loss, and legacy, in a sport where passion overcomes fear.
Directed by Torquil Jones (Netflix’s 14 Peaks: Nothing is Impossible), the film stars Formula One World Champions Jacques Villeneuve, Alain Prost, and Sir Jackie Stewart, alongside the Villeneuve & Pironi families.
