Jacques Villeneuve

Jacques Villeneuve is a Canadian former racing driver who competed in various categories of motorsports, including Formula One, the IndyCar Series, and NASCAR. He is best known for winning the 1997 Formula One World Championship with Williams-Renault.
Villeneuve was born in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec, Canada, on April 9, 1971. He is the son of Gilles Villeneuve, a former Formula One driver who died in a crash during qualifying for the 1982 Belgian Grand Prix. Villeneuve began his racing career in karting at the age of 10. He quickly rose through the ranks, winning the Canadian National Karting Championship in 1987. In 1989, he made his debut in Formula 3, where he raced for three seasons.
In 1992, Villeneuve moved up to Formula 3000, where he finished second in the championship standings. The following year, he made his Formula One debut with the Williams-Renault team. Villeneuve quickly established himself as a top driver, winning four races in his rookie season. He finished second in the championship standings, behind only Damon Hill.
In 1997, Villeneuve won the Formula One World Championship. He won seven races during the season, including the prestigious Monaco Grand Prix. He finished the season ahead of Michael Schumacher and Heinz-Harald Frentzen.
After winning the championship, Villeneuve struggled to maintain his form. He left Williams-Renault at the end of the 1998 season and joined the BAR-Honda team. However, he failed to win a race with BAR-Honda and left the team at the end of the 2003 season.
In 2004, Villeneuve moved to the IndyCar Series. He won the Indianapolis 500 in 2005, becoming the first Canadian to win the race. He also won the IndyCar Series championship in 2008.
Villeneuve retired from full-time racing in 2009. However, he has continued to race in occasional events, including the NASCAR Nationwide Series and the Blancpain Endurance Series.
Villeneuve is considered one of the greatest Canadian racing drivers of all time. He is a member of the Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame and the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame.