Was the speed real or just for show?

Formula One medical director Dr. Sid Watkins, in his book Life at the Limit, wrote these immortal lines:

"I once met Gilles in the lobby of the hotel in Sao Paulo and he offered me a lift to Interlagos.

"Madame Villeneuve was with him, so when we got to his rented car, I moved to sit in the rear, but Madame insisted that I sit in the front.

"Gilles in a road car was frightening and when I turned to speak to his wife, she was not visible as she had taken to the floor. She indicated that this was normal for her and I soon found out why.

"Villeneuve believed in the `gap theory,' i.e., that there was always a space into which he could move when faced with a high-speed collision. He ignored all red lights, gently bouncing off parked cars or lamposts, talking all the time and and never pausing or hesitating in the traffic.

"At the circuit, he asked if I wanted a lift back later!

"His helicopter drill, I was told by Trevor Rowe, then-secretary of the Grand Prix Drivers Association, was much the same – taking off with fuel gauge at zero and flying in and out of power cables and pylons with cool aplomb."

But was he really like that outside a racing car? Or was it just part of his never-ending quest to cultivate and maintain his devil-may-care image?

Said his great friend, Jody Scheckter (in an interview with writer Adam Cooper that was published in the August, 1999, issue of MotorSport):

"I always tell the story about driving from Monaco with him. The whole time he drove perfectly – until we got just outside Modena and soon the wheels were spinning and he started sliding around and everything. That was the proof of what I felt.

"I also remember going with him in his helicopter and once again we got over Modena and he started his tricks again. He was going down and then up. I said you'd better stop now or I'll wring your neck." –Norris McDonald

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