EXCLUSIVE: Last year we told you about Sky Italia’s Villeneuve Pironi and today we’ve got an exclusive clip from the Formula 1 doc, which has a world premiere this week at DocNYC.
The Torquil Jones-directed feature comes from Sky Studios and UK indie Noah Media Group and explores one of the most controversial in F1 history back in 1982, when French superstar driver Didier Pironi broke an unwritten agreement with his Ferrari teammate and close friend Gilles Villeneuve, ‘stealing’ a victory from him on the final lap of a San Marino Grand Prix. Two weeks later, Villeneuve was killed in a crash and the pair were unable to mend their broken bond.
The clip shows the two iconic red Ferrari cars battling for first place on the track, with Italian commentary laid over the top.
The films sees the familes of Villeneuve and Pironi unite for the first time to reveal the untold story following four decades of rumor, bitterness and myth about the duel and its aftermath. Gilles’ son Jacques Villeneuve, himself a Formula 1 champion, appears along with famous driver Alain Prost and Jackie Stewart. Former F1 CEO Bernie Ecclestone is among the contributors.
Director Jones, who co-wrote the film with Noah Media colleague Gabriel Clarke, directed Netflix doc 14 Peaks: Nothing is Impossible and Bobby Robson: More Than a Manager. John McKenna, Jones, Roberto Pisoni, Dino Vannini and Gaia Pasetto produced it, with F1 driver Mark Webber among the executive producers, as we revealed last year.
“At its heart the film is an exploration of how far someone’s passion will take them; how it affects their loved ones, how it overcomes fear and danger, how passion can become limitless and what happens when different passions collide,” said Jones. “It’s a story about family, love, memory and coping with grief. For me, this is what the film is about, with motor racing as the backdrop.”
The film was the first to emerge from Sky Studios’ multi-year partnership with sports doc specialist Noah Media.
Villeneuve Pironi premieres on Saturday (November 12) at New York’s DocNYC festival.