French · Pontcharra, Isère, France · Born 4 July 1948René Arnoux was a French Formula 1 driver renowned for his blistering one-lap pace, famed for a legendary wheel-to-wheel battle with Gilles Villeneuve at the 1979 French Grand Prix.
René Arnoux took 18 career pole positions and seven Formula 1 victories, and produced the sport's most celebrated wheel-to-wheel duel on July 1, 1979, at Dijon-Prenois, where a three-lap battle for second place with Gilles Villeneuve — the two cars repeatedly touching at speed — has never been surpassed for sheer racing drama. He won the European Formula Renault Championship twice before graduating to Formula Two, finishing runner-up to compatriot Jean-Pierre Jabouille in 1976 and leading the championship the following year, which earned him a Formula One debut with Martini in 1978. Arnoux joined Renault in 1979 to partner Jabouille in the team's pioneering turbocharged cars, and produced the defining moment of his career on July 1, 1979, at Dijon-Prenois: locked in a three-lap, wheel-to-wheel battle for second place with Ferrari's Gilles Villeneuve, the two drivers repeatedly touched at high speed through the corners, in what is universally regarded as the greatest two-car duel in Formula 1 history. He won his first Grands Prix in Brazil and South Africa in 1980, and became renowned for his qualifying speed, taking 18 career pole positions. Arnoux moved to Ferrari in 1983 and finished third in the World Championship, winning the Canadian, German, and Dutch Grands Prix that year in what proved the finest season of his career. He was unexpectedly dropped by Ferrari in 1985, and after a season away, returned with Ligier for a difficult final stretch through 1989. Arnoux retired with seven Grand Prix wins and went on to found the DAMS Formula 3000 team with Jean-Paul Driot, later working as a French television commentator and running a chain of indoor karting tracks.
The legendary 1979 French Grand Prix battle with Gilles Villeneuve
How They Played
Aggressive, attacking driver with exceptional one-lap qualifying speed
Lasting Impact
Remembered as one of the fastest qualifiers of his generation and a central figure in one of motorsport's most iconic moments
Career Honours
- 7x Grand Prix winner
- 18x pole position
- 3rd in World Championship (1983)
- European Formula Two runner-up and champion-calibre seasons (1976, 1977)
| Constructor | Season(s) | Races |
|---|---|---|
| Martini | 1978 | — |
| Renault | 1979–1982 | — |
| Ferrari | 1983–1985 | — |
| Ligier | 1986–1989 | — |
| Career Total | — | 0 |
French Athletes