F1 champion Villeneuve’s racing return ends in lap 1 crash chaos in Barcelona

The 1997 Formula 1 World Champion, who had qualified 23rd on his debut in the series, was caught up in a chain-reaction incident heading into Turn 10 on lap one. The 55-year-old, driving a Porsche 911 Cup car, lost his front-right wheel in the collision, which also ended the races of British driver Liam McNeilly and Luciano Fernandez, among others.

Villeneuve had entered the event as a special guest and VIP driver, competing in a specially prepared Porsche 911 featuring his iconic helmet design and the number 911. It remains to be seen whether he will return to action when the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup heads to Austria for its next round.

Earlier, Villeneuve detailed why the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya suits George Russell better than Kimi Antonelli, after the British driver set the quickest lap time of the weekend during final practice.

“He will be happy, but I think he knew coming here that this track would suit his driving style a little bit better than his teammate,” the Canadian said of Russell after the conclusion of final practice at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix on Sky Sports. The Briton was the quickest, finishing ahead of second-placed Oscar Piastri by more than two tenths.

Villeneuve continued: “So he’s taking advantage of it and pushing. But the track is slippery, and if you don’t have the perfect set-up, you can’t drive around it. It’s very difficult, and you need to be precise.”

According to the 1997 World Champion, Antonelli’s style suits other circuits. He explained: “Antonelli’s driving style suits stop-and-go tracks. He goes very deep into the corner, turns in early, pivots the car early, and gets on the throttle; the electric part of the engine pulls him out, and he runs a super-soft rear end. That normally means a lot of understeer, and that doesn’t work on this track.

“This track is very understeery, but, at the same time, the rear snaps. Russell has a smoother driving style, and it works here,” he concluded.