My Take
René Arnoux is one of those drivers who never gets quite the credit he deserves, and that genuinely bugs me. The man won seven Formula One Grands Prix, claimed the European Formula Two Championship in 1977, and finished third in the World Drivers' Championship with Ferrari in 1983 — that's a real career, not a footnote. But what I love most about Arnoux is his racing style: pure, relentless, zero-compromise aggression. That wheel-to-wheel battle with Gilles Villeneuve at the 1979 French Grand Prix — two cars trading paint lap after lap with neither driver lifting — is one of the greatest moments in motorsport history, and Arnoux was right in the thick of it. A kid from the foothills of the French Alps who fought his way to the top of Formula One on sheer nerve, and I have nothing but respect for that.
Overview
René Alexandre Arnoux (French: [ʁəne alɛksɑ̃dʁ aʁnu]; born 4 July 1948) is a French former racing driver, who competed in Formula One from 1978 to 1989. Arnoux won seven Formula One Grands Prix across 12 seasons. In 1977, Arnoux won the European Formula Two Championship. His best finish in the World Drivers' Championship was third in 1983 for Ferrari.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- René Arnoux
- Name (Japanese)
- ルネ・アルヌー
- Reading
- るね・あるぬー
- Born
- July 4, 1948 (age 77)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Cancer / Rat
- Origin
- Pontcharra, Isère, France
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- racing automobile driver / Formula One driver
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Private
- University
- Private
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.