French · Cannes, France · Born 23 June 1951French rally driver who became the only woman to win World Rally Championship events and finish runner-up in the 1982 WRC Drivers' Championship.
Michèle Hélène Raymonde Mouton was born on 23 June 1951 in Grasse, France, and began her rallying career as a co-driver before quickly moving to the driver's seat, competing in national rallies in an Alpine-Renault A110. Mouton won her class at the 1975 24 Hours of Le Mans before being signed by Fiat's French team, finishing runner-up in the 1977 European Rally Championship. She moved to Audi's factory team in 1981, and on 22 May 1981 became the first woman ever to win a World Rally Championship event, taking victory at the Rallye Sanremo. Mouton finished runner-up in the 1982 WRC drivers' championship, the highest finish ever achieved by a woman in the series, winning four rallies during a career built around Audi's revolutionary four-wheel-drive Quattro during the sport's dramatic Group B era. Mouton moved to Peugeot in 1986 and won the German Rally Championship that year, becoming the first female driver ever to win a major national rallying title, before retiring following the banning of Group B cars on safety grounds. She has remained deeply influential in the sport, founding the Race of Champions Nations Cup and serving as a prominent advocate for women in motorsport.
First and only woman to win WRC events
How They Played
Aggressive and fearless driving style in Group B rally cars
Lasting Impact
Pioneering female rally driver who broke gender barriers in motorsport
Career Honours
- 4 WRC event wins (only woman ever)
- 1982 WRC Drivers' Championship runner-up
- Audi Quattro works driver
French Athletes