René Arnoux

René Arnoux ( born July 4, 1948 in Pontcharra ) is a French racing driver and former Formula 1 pilot.

Career

Already at the age of ten he drove a kart that had built by his father. He served an apprenticeship as a motor mechanic. After his military service he went to Turin, to tune there engines. After a meeting with Jean -Pierre Beltoise 1972 he decided to make a race car driver training. He proved to be a talented and could eventually the French Formula Renault Championship in 1973 to decide for themselves. In 1975 he won the Formula Renault Championship for the Elf team. Then he moved in 1976 in the Martini Formula 2 team, with which he could win the 1977 European Championship.

From 1978 to 1989 Arnoux drove, he played with the newly founded Martini team, whose car he had previously used in Formula 2 in Formula 1 His first season. This first contact was unsuccessful; the car was not competitive, and the team had no experience in Formula 1 In his subsequent eleven seasons, he drove for Renault, Ferrari and Ligier and won it seven Grand Prix victories. In 1983, he finished as the best result in third place in the World Cup.

Remembering his duel with Gilles Villeneuve Grand Prix of France 1979 in Dijon Prenois remained for second place. The two riders overtook in the final laps several times against each other in a spectacular way and even touched. At the end Arnoux just going down. Arnoux's teammate Jean -Pierre Jabouille started with the Renault RS11 from the pole position and finally won after a short battle with Villeneuve also superior. It was not only the first win for Renault in Formula 1, but also the first triumph of a car with a turbo engine.

Arnoux was launched in 1977, 1994 and 1995 in the 24- hour race at Le Mans. In 1994 he reached the twelfth place on a Dodge Viper.

Arnoux now lives in Garches; he has remained connected to racing, for example, he participated in the race for the Grand Prix Masters series part and drove to 2002 racing kart.

Arnoux was married twice and has a daughter. Under his name is also a go-kart simulation, the René Arnoux Karting was expelled. Four indoor karting halls are operated under his name in Paris ( 2), in Lyon and Aix -en- Provence under the logo Kart'in.

Statistics

Statistics in Formula 1

Grand Prix victories

Individual results

Le Mans results

Trivia

In early 1987, Arnoux was well off the race track fast. In a medium small French town where 60 km / h were allowed, he was racing at 242 km / h, a radar control and had to give up his driver's license.