Memorabilia at the Gilles Villeneuve Museum, in Berthierville, Que., on Dec. 6, 2024.Andrej Ivanov/The Globe and Mail
The family of the late Canadian Formula One racing icon Gilles Villeneuve on Thursday moved to recover items it has lent to the museum in Berthierville, Que., that bears his name.
Later on Thursday, the museum announced it would be temporarily closing.
“I can confirm the museum chose to close temporarily because it was impossible to have an agreement with the family. They will give time to the lawyers to discuss and find a solution. The Villeneuve family doesn’t want to move an inch,” Hugo Morissette, the museum’s senior director of public affairs, told The Globe and Mail.
In an interview this week, Melanie Villeneuve, Gilles’s daughter and the sister of former F1 star Jacques, said the Villeneuves lost trust in the museum’s ability to protect part of the collection that belongs to his heirs after a bronze statue of him was stolen from outside the building on Nov. 1, 2024. Thieves cut the life-sized, 160-kilogram memorial off at its ankles. When it was commissioned in 1985, it cost $20,000 but would take $100,000 now to replace.
“The larger picture and larger message my family and I want to share is that we wish to retake control of my father’s legacy,” Melanie said. “We want to take ownership of his story and put together new initiatives to celebrate his life. We want to explore ways to make sure he survives time and how can we communicate his story to a new generation of fans.”
Villeneuve was 32 in 1982 when he died in a crash during qualifying at the Belgian Grand Prix. He drove for Enzo Ferrari on the world’s most prestigious racing circuit for six years, won six Grand Prix events and had 13 podium finishes.
The Musée Gilles-Villeneuve was established in 1988. It has a gift shop loaded with souvenirs and the museum itself contains a fabulous collection of memorabilia and his first racing cars, including items that were privately obtained.
The Musée-Gilles Villeneuve received notice at about 9:30 a.m. on Thursday that the family had initiated a prejudgment seizure order to recover certain items.
Gilles Villeneuve with the trophy after winning the Canadian Grand Prix on Oct. 8, 1978.STF/The Canadian Press
Morissette said the family had been in touch with the museum’s lawyers but because it is a legal matter no further statement would be made.
Morissette later sent out a response in a statement after some articles were published.
“First of all, it’s important to mention that the museum has been run by a small, dedicated team for several decades. They have the privilege of keeping Gilles Villeneuve’s legacy alive, and they do so with pride.
“The museum regrets that the family perceives the situation negatively. Although they are not involved in the management of the museum, they have indeed lent a few artifacts representing a small proportion of the museum’s entire collection.”
The statement also said the museum will contest the family procedure, particularly in regards to ownership of certain artifacts.
“Considering that the Villeneuve family has initiated legal proceedings, the museum will make no further comment on this subject.”
The family fears that in recent years Gilles Villeneuve’s legacy has been damaged and his name and likeness have been misused by third parties. In 2023, Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc of Monaco had a copy of Villeneuve’s Formula One helmet made and planned to wear it at the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal as a tribute. Gilles Villeneuve is the lone Canadian to ever win the race, and the track is now named for him.
Jacques, who is now retired and lives in Italy, said at the time that his sister, who manages Gilles’s affairs, was disturbed because Leclerc chose the design without ever notifying the family first. They were also uncomfortable because a number of Ferrari’s sponsors were featured on the helmet, perhaps turning it into something that was more than a simple tribute.
Leclerc apologized to the Villeneuves for not reaching out to them, invited them to the race and went on to wear the helmet during the 2023 Grand Prix.
Recently the family learned that the helmet will be included in an exhibit in November at the Las Vegas Grand Prix and were disappointed again because nobody had notified them.
“Over the last few years we have spent a lot of time looking at how my father’s name and his image have been used everywhere by all kinds of different people,” Melanie said. “It is always being done without communicating with us or without asking what we think.
“I am sure it is done with good intentions but people do whatever they want. Sometimes it breaks my heart to see him used in ways that did not align with his values.”
Melanie said the family is not close to the museum or its management. She visited it last summer and asked for information about how certain issues were handled but said she never received a satisfactory answer.
“We want to explain how 40 years later my dad has become this legend,” she said. “Our focus was to see maybe how we could take ownership of the message. What we want to do is communicate his amazing accomplishments. We have a lot of initiatives that we have been discussing in terms of how to apply new media and new ways to communicate who he was.”
She said it is unclear now whether the family will cut all ties with the small-town museum. The town’s main street is named after Gilles, as is a community centre and a park that overlooks the St. Lawrence River.
“Our approach is not to be difficult,” she said. “I feel an obligation to do what needs to be done. I think at this point we are ready to turn a page and start a new chapter as far as my dad is concerned. It may not be an easy path but I think we do it with the right intentions.”
Andrej Ivanov/The Globe and Mail