MONTRÉAL — Quebec Premier Christine Fréchette has named the late Formula One driver Gilles Villeneuve a historic figure of Quebec.
Fréchette made the announcement today as the Canadian Grand Prix weekend kicks off in the city, standing next to Villeneuve’s family near the F1 track named after the former racer.
The government names people as historic figures if they played a significant role in Quebec history and are part of the Québécois collective memory.
Villeneuve died at age 34 after a collision in a race to qualify for the Belgian Grand Prix in 1982.
He became a local sensation after he beat several F1 drivers during a race in Trois-Rivières, Que., in 1976.
The following year, he won his first Grand Prix driving a Ferrari in Montreal.
A biopic based on Villeneuve’s is also set to be released in cinemas in November.
Events for the Canadian Grand Prix run until Sunday at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 22, 2026.
— With files from Tommy Thurber in Montreal
The Canadian Press
