Thieves speed off with statue of F1 racing legend Gilles Villeneuve

MONTREAL — A museum dedicated to revered Formula One driver Gilles Villeneuve is racing to find its stolen bronze statue of the Quebec speedster before it gets melted down for cash.

Alain Bellehumeur, general manager of the Gilles Villeneuve Museum, says the 5 foot 3 inches tall statue was apparently sawed off at the ankles sometime between Wednesday night and Thursday, and he is asking the public for help locating it.

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The statue was created in 1984 in tribute of Villeneuve, who participated in 67 Formula One races from 1977 to 1982, winning six before dying in a racing accident while qualifying for the Belgian Grand Prix at the age of 32.

In 1994 the statue was placed outside the museum dedicated to him in Berthierville, Que., about 70 kilometres northeast of Montreal, where Bellehumeur says the statue became an important part of the community’s cultural heritage.

He says the statue cost $25,000 to built in 1984 and that he is worried the thieves plan to melt it and sell the bronze.

Jules Lasalle, the man who sculpted the statue, says the theft is a major disappointment and hopes it will soon be returned.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 1, 2024.

Joe Bongiorno, The Canadian Press