A small tribute to Michèle Mouton, who has never been afraid to take on a challenge. One of our icons, and Ravage’s patroness.

Michèle Mouton won four World Championship rallies and four European rallies.

Born on 23 June 1951 in Grasse, home of the Rallye Grasse-Alpin, Michèle Mouton is a French rally driver. Sometimes nicknamed ‘Le beau volcan noir’ by her French peers and the West German press, she is the daughter of flower growers from Provence. Her first ambition was to work as a special-needs educator with teenagers in difficulty.

As a co-driver and a member of Groupe Compétition Grasse, she first entered the World Rally Championship at the Monte Carlo Rally on 19 January 1973, alongside Jean Taibi in a Peugeot 304 S.

She made her national competition debut as a driver in the women’s Paris–Saint-Raphaël rally in 1974. On 30 November that year she also drove in the World Championship at the Tour de Corse, finishing 12th in an Alpine Renault A110 1800 with co-driver Annie Arrii.

Her final World Championship appearance, at the 1986 Tour de Corse in a Peugeot 205 Turbo 16, ended in retirement.

Alongside rallying, she entered the 1975 Le Mans 24 Hours with Christine Dacremont and Marianne Hoepfner in the Société Esso team’s Moynet LM75, built by André Moynet. They won the 1,601–2,000 cc class and finished 21st overall, behind the other all-female team led by Anny-Charlotte Verney in 11th.

In 1988, Michèle Mouton helped create the Race of Champions in memory of Henri Toivonen. In 2010 she became the first president of the FIA commission promoting women in motorsport. After becoming FIA president, Jean Todt announced his intention to appoint directors for the major championships. Mouton was appointed World Rally Championship manager on 4 February 2011.

Source: Wikipedia