"I gambled big and I won" - When Jacques Villeneuve's mind games with his rival led to a historic Indy 500 win

The former Formula 1 champion Jacques Villeneuve won the Indy 500 on his only second start in the series in 1995. However, his famous win at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway did not come easily as he was hit with a two-lap penalty mid-way through the race, which led to his stunning comeback that included mind games and strategic execution at the iconic race in history books.

The Canadian driver was born into a family with deep roots in the world of racing. His father Gilles Villeneuve was a pioneer in racing from Canada and finished second in the F1 Championship in 1979. However, he died at the Belgian Grand Prix in 1982 and is regarded as one of the best drivers to have never won an F1 Championship.

Jacques Villeneuve led out on a similar racing path but ventured into the United States for his first breakthrough. There he won the premier race of the IndyCar Series, the Indy 500, but the victory came after a long struggle.

The 53-year-old was penalized for overtaking the pace car twice during a caution period after not keeping tabs on his track position. He was struck with a two-lap penalty but kept his head down during the race and on the final restart after a caution, he employed mind games and forced his rival Scott Goodyear into a mistake.

Goodyear overtook the pace car before it peeled into the pits, causing him to be disqualified after the chequered flag fell. Reflecting on the masterclass that led him from being two laps down to winning the Indy 500, Jacques Villeneuve said (via au.motorsport.com):

"With a little more than ten laps to go we got another caution. I was then running in second place behind Scott Goodyear [who was driving a Honda-powered Reynard on Firestone tires]. I told myself ‘Well, okay, I’m going to finish second again for a second time in a row. That’s good’. Suddenly, I changed my mind. Despite the fact that he was faster than me, I decided to put extreme pressure on him so hopefully he’d made a mistake. I started playing tricks on him."

The 53-year-old added:

"As we were running behind the pace car, I pulled alongside him, and then slowed down a lot and then accelerated again. I was all over the place. He suddenly stepped on the gas and went for it at full speed. But the pace car was still running on the race track. He passed it while I jumped on the brakes. I knew the rule was very clear: you never pass the pace car. I was hoping the officials would penalize him like they had punished me. It worked. I gambled big and I won!"

After his victory at the Indy 500, Jacques Villeneuve's dream to switch to F1 came true in 1996. He won his solitary F1 Championship in 1997 with Williams and is one of the few drivers to have both IndyCar and F1 titles.

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Jacques Villeneuve shared his thoughts on the differences between F1 and IndyCar

Jacques Villeneuve at the F1 Grand Prix of Canada - Final Practice - Source: Getty

Moreover, tapping into his vast experience in both the series, the former driving racer compared the two championships and said (via Goodwood):

"F1 was lighter, more nimble, like a go-kart. The Indycars were super powerful and big. It was a jump, but it wasn’t reinventing the wheel. After my F1 test, I gained half a second in Indy qualy. Three days in F1 made me a better Indycar driver. I’m not sure what is more difficult to win, Le Mans or Indy. If you go in as an extra, Indy. The way Fernando did it, that’s always tough. If you’re not there all season, especially with the modern cars."

Jacques Villeneuve now works as an F1 analyst and recently rejoined Williams as an ambassador ahead of the 2025 season.