Villeneuve was born in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec, to aspiring Formula One driver Gilles Villeneuve and his wife Joann and raised in Monaco. He has a sister Melanie and a half sister Jessica. His uncle, Jacques Sr., was also a racing driver and in 1985 at Road America became the first Canadian to win a CART race. Villeneuve's father eventually became a Ferrari Formula One driver, finishing runner-up in the season and winning six Grands Prix. When Villeneuve was eleven years old, his father was killed during the qualifying session for the 1982 Belgian Grand Prix at Zolder following a collision with Jochen Mass which sent the car airborne.