Why Did Someone Steal A Life-Sized Statue Of F1 Driver Gilles Villeneuve?

Usually, when car crime happens, it involves a vehicle either getting pinched or used in a crime. Well, this case is a little different. A life-sized statue of F1 driver Gilles Villeneuve was stolen from out front of his memorial museum earlier this week, and both the museum and the town of Berthierville, Quebec are asking for the public’s help in finding it before it’s too late.

In case you aren’t hugely familiar with Gilles Villeneuve, he was a Quebecois Formula 1 driver, but that’s about where the similarities with Lance Stroll stop. Villeneuve became an inspiration for his defensive racecraft, particularly his battle with René Arnoux at the 1979 French Grand Prix. He was signed to Ferrari by Enzo himself, developed a reputation for being absolutely tenacious, and finished second in the 1979 driver’s championship. When the BBC asked Niki Lauda to describe Villeneuve, Lauda said, “He was the craziest devil I ever came across in F1.”

Tragically, Villeneuve died during the final qualifying session of the 1982 Belgian Grand Prix when he attempted to occupy the same space as Jochen Mass, who was travelling substantially slower in his March car and actively moving off the racing line to let Villeneuve through. Mass went right, Villeneuve went right, and that was that. While Villeneuve’s racing career was cut short at the young age of 32, he remains an inspiration throughout the Great White North.

As such, stealing a statue of Gilles Villeneuve in Canada is a bit like stealing a statue of Dale Earnhardt in America — you just don’t do that. However, someone did. At some point between Oct. 30 and 31, the statue was cut at the ankles and hauled away from in front of the Musée Gilles Villeneuve. The museum quickly took to Facebook to ask for the public’s help in locating the statue, because at this point, there’s no guarantee it’ll be returned safely.

So, what would someone do with a life-sized statue of Gilles Villeneuve, minus his feet? Well, the statue is made of bronze, and as CityNews reports, the museum fears it could be “melted down” and possibly sold as scrap. Desperate times can make people do brazen things, and considering bronze is a more desirable metal than steel or iron, it’s possible that someone saw the statue as a payday.

Of course, there’s also the possibility that someone just wanted it, but why? How would you hide a life-sized statue of Gilles Villeneuve? How would you prop it up considering it no longer has feet?

Obviously, this is an egregious act, and it’s angered more than just racing fans and museum staff. The municipality in which the museum is located stated that “The City of Berthierville wishes to denounce this criminal act (which) not only damages our heritage, but also deprives our community and motorsports fans of a strong symbol of our history.”

If you happen to know the whereabouts of the statue, please contact Musée Gilles-Villeneuve. Let’s get this bronze back to where it belongs, because it’s a monument to history.

(Photo credits: Musée Gilles-Villeneuve)

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