
One fatal misjudgement. That's all it took to jolt the trajectory of Formula 1 history during the super-power 1980s.
Had Gilles Villeneuve backed off and missed the rear of Jochen Mass's cruising March at Zolder in May 1982, who knows what glories would have abounded?
But even had he lived and won the world title that should have been well within his reach during that tumultuous season, Ferrari might still have missed the full benefits. Villeneuve was imbued with the mysticism of Enzo's magical Scuderia and, 36 years after his violent death, still remains the ultimate embodiment of what a Ferrari F1 driver should be.
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