Credit: Photo by Legends Of Motorsports, Mont Tremblant, 2010 – licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.
Credit: Photo by Legends Of Motorsports, Mont Tremblant, 2010 – licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 – Wikimedia Commons
In the winter of 1995, F1 was standing on the edge of a new era.
Michael Schumacher had just conquered back to back World Championships with Benetton, on the other hand Jacques Villeneuve was about to step into the sport as Canada’s most anticipated rookie in decades, and Ferrari years of frustration, was desparate to return to glory.
Before 1994, Ferrari already promised Senna that they will continue to negotiate for the 1995, but that day never came.
However, few people know is that before Schumacher’s historic move to Ferrari, the Italian team nearly signed Villeneuve instead, and pushing hardest for that dream pairing was none other than Bernie Ecclestone, the man who essentially was F1 at the time.
Bernie’s Vision: A Villeneuve Back in Red
Ecclestone saw Villeneuve as the perfect symbol to revive Ferrari’s passion, Villeneuve was not just any rookie, he was the son of Gilles Villeneuve, the hero of Scuderia Ferrari in the late of ’70s.
Bernie knew what that meant, in an era when TV rights and global image mattered more than ever, he envisioned Jacques stepping into his father’s shoes, bringing back the name of Villeneuve, and giving Ferrari a narrative that fans would fall in love with.
To Ecclestone, Villeneuve’s arrival was not just about performance, it was the story that F1 needed, the golden haired Canadian, charismatic and brave, driving for the team that had adored his father, it was almost cinematic.
Gilles Villeneuve vs Didier Peroni 👉 Imola 1982: Ferrari’s Teammate Clash
The Early Negotiations
Reports suggest that talks between Villeneuve’s management and Ferrari were real, Ecclestone personally encouraged Ferrari to sign Villeneuve before his F1 debut in 1996.
However, there was even an early proposal for Villeneuve to join as a test driver, learning the ropes within the team before taking a full race seat.
But Villeneuve had no interest in waiting, he was already a star in North America, having won the 1995 IndyCar championship and the Indianapolis 500.
He wanted to race immediately and win, the Ferrari of 1995, still struglling with reliability, was far from a sure bet.
Schumacher’s Choice Changes Everything
While Ferrari was in talks with Villeneuve, Schumacher was their primary-target, seeing him as the top driver to bring back the team to the winning ways, on the other hand Villeneuve, needed some time in F1.
Williams was the dominant team in F1 in the mid-90s, Schumacher even held talks with Frank Williams, but some reports suggests that Jochen Mass told Schumacher before signing for Ferrari in 1996, that if he wins with Williams, he will be one of many but to win with the Ferrari, he’ll become the king of Italy.
That line probably struck deep, Ferrari hadn’t won a championship in 1979, the year Gilles Villeneuve nearly became champion himself, the idea of restoring that team’s glory appealed to Schumacher’s competitive pride.
Within weeks, Ferrari signed Schumacher, and the Villeneuve discussions came to an end.
Ferrari also made a deal with Eddie Irvine, signing him from Jordan F1 team at the end of 1995, for the new season.
According to reports, Ferrari offered a record-breaking deal to Michael Schumacher for the 1996 and 1997, for around $30 million yearly, but this is not officially confirmed.
What Might Have Been
Had the decision gone differently, history could have flipped entirely, imagine Villeneuve stepping into Ferrari red in 1996, his rookie season framed as a revival of the Villeneuve legend.
Instead, Villeneuve joined Williams, by the end of 1996, Villeneuve was runner-up to teammate Damon Hill, an astonishing debut year, and one year later he became world champion.
While Michael Schumacher had to wait until 2000, when he won his first F1 title driving for Ferrari, and dominating the sports for five years in a row, becoming the most successful driver in history.
Ecclestone’s Regret and Villeneuve’s Perspective
Bernie Ecclestone later admitted that getting Villeneuve into Ferrari, said that he would like to see him drive for Ferrari.
For Villeneuve it was the missed opportunity, but Williams offered the fastest path to success but not for long.
Still, there is a sense of what if sorrounding that era, if Villeneuve had worn Ferrari red, would Schumacher have chosen Williams instead, or McLaren, who was also interested?
Could the Schumacher-Williams combination have rewritten the late ’90s entirely, perhaps giving Schumacher even more championships?
Two Paths, One Era
Ultimately, both drivers found their places in history, Michael Schumacher was able to transform Ferrari into a dynasty, ending its 21-year title drought and becoming the most successful driver the team had ever known.
For the Canadian driver, winning the title with Williams in only his second year cemented his place in Formula 1 history. He is forever remembered as a fearless racer like his father, and it is an interesting fact that Villeneuve’s 1997 duel with Schumacher at Jerez is still talked about today as one of the sport’s most debated season finales.
But for a brief moment, their stories almost intertwined, the legend of Gilles Villeneuve reborn in red, and the German prodigy taking a different route, it was a crossroads that defined F1’s next decade.
