Ferrari prepare 312T4 for Villeneuve demo run

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Ferrari have shaken down the 312T4 which will be driven by Jacques Villeneuve next month.

The car, raced by Gilles Villeneuve during the 1979 season, will be driven by his son on the 30th anniversary of his death next month.

Ferrari’s Andrea Bertolini drove the car around the short circuit at their Fiorano test track.

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Images © Ferrari spa/Ercole Colombo

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Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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15 comments on “Ferrari prepare 312T4 for Villeneuve demo run”

  1. Although with that front end it’s hard to call it beautiful, but it’s certainly a very striking car.

    1. I’ve always thought of it as a very beautiful f1 car but I’m not really sure why! I suppose that no other f1 car from that era looks the same and its unlikely we will see a car like it agian

      1. @rbalonso, I too find it a very beautiful car. I do have some idea why: playing with matchbox toy cars in my youth, cars like this were the sort of F1 cars I raced with, and as a result I think my mind still insists they should look something like this :)

    2. As RBAlonso, I always thought of it as a very beautiful car. In any case, is WAY MORE beautiful than 99% of the ducks in this 2012 season…
      But I agree with you: striking car.

      1. I think it was beautiful spatially with Villeneuve behind the wheel

      2. Spot on. At Goodwood a decade from now those of that era will still draw more interest than the current crop.

    3. That car is a work of art. The front end is majestic, and you are folly.

  2. That rear wing looks a bit askew to me…

    1. It is correct, the slight peaking in the middle is intentional.

  3. Bertolini! Good to know he still exists!

  4. What a machine…

    Now if we could only hear it. As the car raced on Michelins, they had a certian look to them and nowadays many historics are using Avons. Their profile is a bit different and affects the stance of the car. Too bad if it is Avons.

    This chassis was so much different than the Lotus 79 copy cats that were in vogue at the time. Many said its ground effects were compromised by the mass of the engine but it was very competitive and rose to the challenge. Yes it is a very distant relative to todays versions of beautiful Grand Prix cars, but at the time was something really different and that sound that it made….

    Had to be heard and scene. I was lucky to see it do that and also win.

    1. YES!

      Now if we could only hear it.

      1. sid_prasher (@)
        20th April 2012, 22:19

        Yes Yes!! :)

  5. There’s a nice use of white on that car, looks good.

    1. That era of Ferrari always had a nice balance red, white and some green. It occurred to me this morning that there could have been several other Ferrari used for this rememberance but somehow the 312T4 reflects the pinnacle of his time behind the wheel.

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