Former champion says 'death of my dad' was the worst weekend in Formula 1

Former World Champion Jacques Villeneuve talks about how Formula 1 changed after the tragic deaths of both Ayrton Senna and his dad, Gilles Villeneuve, saying he has "a hard time thinking about something bad for F1".

Jacques Villeneuve followed in his father's footsteps and was active in Formula 1 from 1996-2006, starting 163 races in his career and earning 11 wins. Most notably, he was the World Champion in 1997 when driving for Williams.

Senna has 'become an almost mythical figure'

In Casino Online IN, the Candian talked about the death of the great Senna during the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix, highlighting the improvements in the sport after the Brazilian's death 30 years ago, along with the tragedy of losing his father at the 1982 Belgian Grand Prix.

The death of Senna, a three-time World Champion, shook the world of Formula 1 to its core, and Villeneuve recognised how much the Brazilian meant to the sport. "Formula 1 lost a huge amount in the value he brought," said the Canadian.

"He was super talented, super-fast, and he probably would have given an amazing fight to other drivers for quite a few years to come because he was so passionate about racing.

"He has become an almost mythical figure. Any driver who passes away at the wheel keeps his place in history a lot longer than multiple champions."

Deaths 'marked the start of modern F1'

Senna's death was not the only death that rocked the world of F1. 12 years before then, Gilles Villeneuve also lost his life behind the wheel after colliding with Jochen Mass, which Jacques Villeneuve said "he has a hard time thinking about".

"The weekend of Senna's death was probably the one that hurt the most because that was when there was the most human damage. But for me, the worst weekend was the death of my Dad, so I have a hard time thinking about something that might have been bad for F1.

"But Senna's death marked the start of modern F1. The mindset regarding death and getting hurt changed then compared with the 1970s and 1980s."

The one-time World Champion also said that that tragic weekend at the San Marino Grand Prix was the catalyst for safety changes in Formula 1. "It was a start. Back then you were happy to reach the end of the season without having broken something. And happy if you hadn’t died.

“Now you are surprised if you break a finger! That’s how safe they are and that’s them being as fast as they have ever been.”