Mouton, who is the most successful female rally driver in history, was forced to retire from what was to be her final world rally championship event in corsica while running in the top three due to a technical problem with. Michele was a fast, capable driver who managed to outperform many male competitors and earn respect from fans. See more ideas about audi sport, rally car and rally. List of female drivers women on a wrc podium driver first season final season wrc rallies wrc wins championships louise aitkenwalker 1979 1991 22 nancy almajali 2011 2011 1 leeanne barns 2005 2005 1 natalie barratt 1998 2006 44 christine beckers 1977 1977 1 charlotte berton. Sanremo, italypoolside at the hotel royal in this beautiful coastal town in 1981. Weirdly, it was because he felt she was safer as a driver than as a codriver, as hemmings notes.
Michele was born in grasse, france, and took up rallying aged 22, initially as a codriver until her father bought her her first rally car and she turned her hand to driving. Michele mouton, former world rally championship driver and president, fia women in motorsport michele mouton was the first, and remains the only, woman to have won a round of the fia world rally championship. Michele mouton was the audi quattros fiercest driver. Mar 08, 2020 the grasse natives move from law student to rally racer came by accident in 1972. A year later, mouton signed for peugeot, winning the german rally championship with her new co driver terry harryman who was on a hiatus after vatanens accident. Her career started as a codriver, however she quickly moved into the drivers seat. Michele mouton, the french female world rally championship driver for audi ag, driving her audi quattro a1 in a rally in wales, u. Mouton debuted in rallying as a co driver but quickly moved to the driver s seat, steering an alpine. By rally portugal, the problem had been sorted, and mouton had begun a longterm partnership with co driver fabrizia pons. Success was quite quick and by the age of 25 michele was competing professionally. Rallyings most tenacious driver was a woman jalopnik. Mouton debuted in rallying as a codriver but quickly moved to the drivers seat, steering an alpinerenault a110 in national rallies. Mouton debuted in rallying as a co driver but quickly moved to the driver s seat, steering.
Pons is a recipient of the halda trophy for 1982, the highest honor for a co driver. Michele mouton academic dictionaries and encyclopedias. However, a day later, lancias henri toivonen and his. Michele mouton is a 68 years old race car driver, who was born in june, in the year of the rabbit and is a cancer. Rally driver michele moutons wrc win in a 1984 audi rally. She became his co driver and soon won her first race after she was given the chance. In 1982, she found herself competing for the title against walter rohrl. Michele was born in 1950s, in the middle of baby boomers generation. This was accomplished in 1981 at the rally of sanremo with her co driver fabrizia pons. Michele s birthstone is pearl, moonstone and alexandrite and birth flower is rose. That first win is always a major confidence booster, and in mouton s case, it transformed her from good driver to championship contender. She drove such monsters like killer b audi quattro s1 with 630hp, peugeot 205 t16, lancia stratos and. She is a legend, a french icon and one of the fastest women in the wrc.
Michele mouton, the greatest ever female racing driver. She is the most successful and wellknown female rally driver of all time, as well as arguably the most successful female in motor racing as a whole. I went to watch him in corsica and he didnt get on with his codriver so he asked me. Michele mouton was born in france on saturday, june 23, 1951 baby boomers generation. List of female world rally championship drivers wrcpedia. Sitemap home people drivers k to o mouton, michele wrc starts. Dec 26, 2018 michele mouton was part of the audi quattro team early on, before even rohrl was ever behind the wheel of it. He married claude guarnieri, and had her first child in 1987. She was the first and so far the only woman to win a round of the world rally championship, the rallye sanremo in 1981. Michele considers herself motivated, stubborn and determined. After the tragic crash of henri toivonen, michele mouton decided that if group b was going to end, it would be the end of her rallying career as well. Voir plus didees sur le theme mouton, rallye et femmes pilotes. Prior to audi, though, mouton had been a very successful rally driver in smaller rally races throughout europe, driving alpines and fiat abarths in the 1970s. A title that earned her the nickname the queen of speed.
Paired with codriver fabrizia pons, herself no mean driver, mouton would debut the awesome quattro in the 1981 wrc season with the issue of gender not going unnoticed i can see now the. Michele mouton s wrc win celebrating the first world rally championship by a female driver. Partnered by a variety of female codrivers, in 1974 she took second overall on the criterium national du rouergue, was a regular contender for. Michele mouton, an expilot of audi and the first and still only woman to win a world championship rally, the san remo rally in 1981.
In 1981 she was the first woman to win a world rally championship wrc event, at san remo, and in 1982. Michele mouton and her co driver fabrizia pons by the mid 1980s, mouton was competing the forefront of the group b era, the highest level of rallying, which featured new cars producing 600 or more horsepower and allwheel drive. Mouton would drive for peugeot in 1986, but only in two rounds of the world championship. Home people drivers k to o mouton, michele wrc starts. Jan 17, 2004 michele mouton is famous for keeping up with the men. En 1981, michele mouton remporte le rallye sanremo. Lancias henri toivonen and his co driver sergio cresta were killed. For most rally fans myself included, the 80s was the most fascinating era of rallying for one pure and simple reason. Although the hessen rallye was stopped after the severe accident of formula one driver marc surer, which claimed the life of his codriver michel wyder, mouton was declared the events winner. Her career was going nowhere until she met a racing driver and began to work as a gofer for him. Pons has two children and is originally from turin. Impressed by this, jean invited her to compete as a codriver in the 1973 monte carlo rally which she accepted. Mixedsex driver pairings for extreme e offroad racing. Attributes necessary for a world as competitive and demanding as rallies.
Competing in the world rally championship for the audi factory team, she took four victories and finished run. A year later, mouton signed for peugeot, winning the german rally championship with her new codriver terry harryman who was on a hiatus after vatanens accident. One year later she co founded the race of champions, which continues to this day as a multidiscipline contest between some of the worlds best drivers. Michele mouton born 23 june 1951 in grasse, alpesmaritimes is a former french rally driver. She is still the last woman to compete in toplevel rallying. Nov 09, 2011 michele mouton is the first and so far, only woman to win a world rally championship event. Michele mouton, the queen of speed and first woman to win a. Rally legend and motorsports most successful ever female driver michele mouton has taken on the role of manager in the world rally championship. This was accomplished in 1981 at the rally of sanremo with her codriver fabrizia pons. In extreme e, the two teammates will have to sprint around their car and strap into the other seat before they start the last lap. See more ideas about rally car, audi sport and rally. In motorsport heroes, the fulllength feature film by manish pandey now available on, four legends of our sport share their successes, failures, personal struggles and life.
After a few more rallies as a codriver, moutons father suggested a switch to driving if she wanted to continue a career in rallying, and promised to buy her a car. Her fiery, allout assault was the opposite of the 1980 champions more consistent and calculated approach. In 1981 she was the first woman to win a world rally championship wrc event, at. I went to watch him in corsica and he didnt get on with his codriver, so he asked me, mouton recalled in an interview with.
The secrets of being a rally codriver autosport performance. Pons is one of two people to have achieved world championship points as a driver and co driver, having finished ninth overall in the 1978 sanremo rally before switching to co driving. Michele mouton fabrizia pons audi motorsport winning rallye san. Rally driver catie munnings is hotter than your girlfriend. For mouton and her co driver pons, there was pressure to perform well at sanremo. Competing in the world rally championship for the audi factory team, she took four victories and finished runnerup in the drivers world championship in 1982. When henri toivonen and co driver sergio cresta were burned to death in the crash of their lancia delta s4, the wrcs governing body had no choice but to intervene, banning the group b cars for the 1987 season. Jun 05, 2019 michele mouton, president of the fias women and motorsport commission wmc, is championing the next generation of female motorsport professionals through the fias girls on track. Michele mouton was part of the audi quattro team early on, before even rohrl was ever behind the wheel of it.
Jean invited her to compete as a co driver in the 1973 monte carlo rally which she. Michele mouton and her codriver fabrizia pons just won the sanremo round of the fia world rally championship. Lella started saving money hard, passed her driving test and finally bought herself second hand fiat. Mouton debuted in rallying as a co driver but quickly moved to the driver s seat, steering an alpinerenault a110 in national rallies. The french driver became the first and, to date, only woman to win a race in the world rally championship, with her victory in the san remo rally in 1981. The frenchwoman claimed victory in four world championship rallies in the 1980s and was vice fia world rally champion in 1982. Michele mouton is the best female driver ever and one of the best rally drivers in history. This is a list of female drivers in the wrc, including the most successful of all, michele mouton. In 1975, she competed in circuit racing and won the twolitre prototype class in the 24 hours of le mans.
She secured the german national title on the seventh and penultimate round, the sachs baltic, after taking her fifth win of the season. Michele mouton, nee le 23 juin 1951 a grasse ville organisatrice du rallye grassealpin. She drove such monsters like killer b audi quattro s1. She studied law in school, before quitting to train for rally racing. Michele mouton the world rally championship was a motorsport discipline only men dominated, so when michele mouton started racing in the mid70s, her performance caused as much attention as her good looks. The grasse natives move from law student to rally racer came by accident in 1972. Jan 05, 2011 michele mouton was the first female rally driver to win a world championship race. Mouton, who is the most successful female rally driver in history, was forced to retire from what was to be her final world rally championship event in corsica while running in the top three due to a technical problem with her peugeot 205 t16.
By her early 20s, with that first taste of 2cv still fresh, mouton experienced rallying, initially serving as a co driver in amateur rallies, but soon assuming driving duties. As the most successful, and most famous, female driver of all time 160 wrc stage wins, mouton is the winner of four world rally to enable rallysport magazine to continue to provide exclusive content for our readers, some of our content will be restricted to our subscribers. How fias michele mouton is championing the next generation. The competition, and even some inside the team, thought having a woman. Aug 03, 2012 michele mouton is the best female driver ever and one of the best rally drivers in history.
Mouton s 1982 season started with a big accident at the monte carlo rally. Michele mouton was simply sensational in 1981, the first year of racing for the audi quattro. After seven stage wins and a careerbest fourth place finish, mouton had. Feature on tv presenter and journalist sue bakers experience co driving michele mouton on the 1983 audi sport national rally. Michele mouton bio, facts, family famous birthdays. Jan 23, 2018 michele mouton and her co driver fabrizia pons by the mid 1980s, mouton was competing the forefront of the group b era, the highest level of rallying, which featured new cars producing 600 or more horsepower and allwheel drive.
Profile for racing driver michele mouton from france. Her daughter jessica was born in 1987, but mouton remained actively engaged with the sport that forged her celebrity. Although the hessen rallye was stopped after the severe accident of formula one driver marc surer, which claimed the life of his co driver michel wyder, mouton was declared the winner. Mouton and audi had won the event in 1984 with her wrc co driver fabrizia pons sitting alongside. However, driver and co driver switching seats midrace is a new idea. The pair won four rallies with the rallye sanremo in 1981 and a further three to finish second in the 1982 championship. Michele mouton, president of the fias women and motorsport commission wmc, is championing the next generation of female motorsport professionals through. Phil just remind me of the things i have to know as a co driver well. Autosports international rally driver annual award 1982 1re attribution par le magazine.
Plus, we take a look at her 1984 audi rally quattro a2. Michele mouton born 23 june 1951 is a french former rally driver. Until 2018, formula e drivers were forced to do so as their cars batteries didnt have enough juice to reach the finish line in one go. During this period, audi was constantly the team to beat, and for a while, the great michele mouton was one of the hired guns for this legendary team, and she was total business. I went to watch him in corsica and he didnt get on with his co driver, so he asked me, mouton recalled in an interview with. Mouton and audi had won the event in 1984 with her wrc codriver fabrizia pons sitting alongside. Competing in the world rally championship for the audi factory team, she. Outside the wrc, mouton debuted in the pikes peak international hill climb in the united states, driving an audi sport quattro together with her usual codriver fabrizia pons. Winning six out of eight events, mouton became the first woman to win a major rally championship.
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