Ex-Formula 1 driver Jacques Villeneuve has addressed a situation involving Charles Leclerc and Ferrari, which left the Monegasque’s fans very confused.
Ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix last weekend, Ferrari and Leclerc unveiled a special helmet, in tribute of the late Gilles Villeneuve.
The ex-F1 driver died in 1982, with the Circuit de Gilles-Villeneuve having been named after him.
However, fans were baffled after Leclerc used his usual helmet on Friday, leaving many to wonder why.
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It was later revealed that the Villeneuve family were unhappy a helmet in tribute to Gilles had been unveiled, without their permission.
Jacques revealed on social media that neither Ferrari nor Leclerc had gotten the family’s consent to use the design, leaving them completely in the dark.
Jacques went on to explain that the family were angry at the situation; however, it was later addressed following a “heartfelt conversation” with Leclerc, who “sincerely apologised”.
Leclerc was then given permission by the family to use the special lid during qualifying and the race, which Jacques admitted was a “touching tribute” to his father.
“To clarify the situation regarding the recent incident where some individuals felt the need to insult me and my family over Charles Leclerc using my dad’s helmet, I want to provide some context,” Villeneuve said on social media.
“As I was arriving at the track, my sister called me in a state of anger. She had seen Charles using our dad’s helmet without any prior knowledge or communication about it.
“The entire family was taken by surprise, as we had not been informed beforehand. I immediately conveyed the message to Charles, who was kind enough to give me a call.
“We had a heartfelt conversation where he sincerely apologised for the situation. I reassured him that I considered it a touching tribute and that I personally had no issues with it.
“However, I stressed the importance of him reaching out to my sister, as she is the one responsible for managing everything related to our dad.
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“I also suggested that he invite both our sister and mother to the track to address any remaining concerns.
“Fortunately, everything eventually worked out, but it would have been preferable for these discussions and arrangements to take place before the weekend in a respectful and professional manner.
“Unfortunately, the incident was blown out of proportion, turning it into an unnecessary controversy.”