René Arnoux

René Alexandre Arnoux (July 4, 1948 - Present): A French racing driver from Pontcharra, near Grenoble in the Isère region, Arnoux competed in Formula One from 1978 to 1989, winning seven Grands Prix across 12 seasons with Martini, Surtees, Renault, Ferrari, and Ligier. After winning the 1977 European Formula Two Championship, Arnoux made his Formula One debut with Martini in 1978, but the team folded mid-season due to financial difficulties. He moved to Surtees for the final two races before Renault signed him for 1979 to partner Jean-Pierre Jabouille in their groundbreaking turbocharged cars. Arnoux's first two Formula One victories came in 1980 at the Brazilian and South African Grands Prix, establishing himself as a front-runner.

He is best remembered for his legendary wheel-to-wheel battle with Gilles Villeneuve at the 1979 French Grand Prix at Dijon, considered one of the greatest duels in Formula One history. Arnoux left Renault at the end of 1982 to join Ferrari for 1983, partnering Patrick Tambay. His strongest season came in 1983 when he won at the Canadian, German, and Dutch Grands Prix, remaining in championship contention until the final race at Kyalami before finishing third behind Nelson Piquet and Alain Prost. The Dutch Grand Prix victory at Zandvoort proved to be his seventh and final Formula One win.

Arnoux's relationship with Ferrari deteriorated in 1984 after the arrival of Michele Alboreto, and he was fired after the 1985 Brazilian Grand Prix. He joined Ligier in 1986 alongside Jacques Laffite, remaining with the team through 1989, though he never recaptured his earlier success. Arnoux's final points came from fifth place at the 1989 Canadian Grand Prix, and his last race was the rain-soaked 1989 Australian Grand Prix in Adelaide. He achieved seven race wins, 18 pole positions (the third-most for a driver who never won a World Championship), 12 fastest laps, and 22 podiums across 149 race starts, accumulating 181 World Championship points.

His best championship finish was third in 1983. Known for his spectacular driving style, aggressive overtaking, and ability to extract maximum performance from turbocharged engines, Arnoux remained a fan favorite throughout his career despite never winning the World Championship that his talent deserved.