The Quebecer Gilles Villeneuve went on a formula 1 podium for the first time at the end of the 1978 Austrian Prix presented on a sometimes wet track, sometimes dry.
In this year 1978, Gilles Villeneuve played his first F1 season in the prestigious Scuderia Ferrari with the Argentinian veteran Carlos Reutemann as a teammate. Passed to the new Michelin radial tires, the Ferrari stable entered the old 312 T2 in the first two great prices of the season. The new model, the T3, appears during the third round presented in Kyalami in South Africa.
Fast, but inexperienced, Villeneuve is experiencing a laborious start to the season. After his eighth place at the start of the year, Villeneuve abandoned four times in a row, including Long Beach where he clings as he leads the race …
Of his four abandonments, only one is caused by technical boredom, the others being all the result of accidents. According to legend, the patriarch Enzo Ferrari would have summoned Villeneuve to Maranello and asked him the question that kills: “Gilles, how many points have you scored so far? ». Gilles would have clearly received his boss’s message.
The Quebecer qualifies well in Belgium in Zolder, ranks fourth in the race despite an expensive puncture and marks his first points. Then, he finished his great prizes, but obtained disappointing results in Spain, Sweden, France and Germany.
The Austrian Grand Prix arrives presented on August 13 on the Österreichring 5.9 km toboggan on August 13 and made of ultra fast turns which offer little protection. The Lotus 79-Ford with Ronnie Peterson and Mario Andretti are in front of the starting grid while Villeneuve qualified in 11th place. Large black clouds are threatening when cars are placed for departure.
-At the green light, Peterson starts properly while Tretti commits a huge blunder by leaving the track in the first round following contact with the Reutemann Ferrari. Shortly after, Peterson leads to Patrick Depailler returned from 13th place in his Tyrrell-Ford! As for Villeneuve, it occupies the 12th position. The clouds how to pour a few drops of rain.
After the seventh lap, the rain falls with intensity and Peterson performs a tail. The conditions are terrible and the race is neutralized. It resumes a little later when the rain stops and the final classification will be established by the addition of the times of the two rounds.
The track is still a tracking during this second round and Villeneuve, at ease in these difficult conditions, goes up the peloton. Competitors stop one after the other to raise smooth tires. At the 30th passage, the track is very dry and Peterson is first ahead of Villeneuve. But three laps later, Deposter the Quebecer doubles who begins to lose ground.
Ronnie Peterson won his 10th F1 victory and his second of the season. Patrick Depailler arrives second in his Tyrrell 008-Ford, at 47 ”4 of the winner. Gilles Villeneuve crosses the arrival in third position, far from 1’39” 7, but in front of Emerson Fittipaldi and his surprising Copersukar F5A.
Several big names were trapped by delicate conditions, such as Mario Andretti (Lotus 79), Jody Scheckter (Wolf WR5), James Hunt (McLaren M26), Carlos Reutemann (Ferrari) and Niki Lauda (Brabham BT46A-Alfa Romeo).
With this first career podium, Villeneuve climbs from 16th to 12th in the pilot ranking with seven points. He also reassures his employer, Enzo Ferrari.
