Often hailed as the ‘Queen of Speed’ and regarded as one of the greatest female drivers of all time, Michèle Hélène Raymonde Mouton earned her place as one of the most exceptional rally drivers in history. The Frenchwoman's rallying journey began in 1974, as she progressed to compete at the World Rally Championships for the Audi Factory Team and took home four victories, alongside the runner-up title in the driver’s world championship in 1982. One of the few women in rallying at the time, her commitment and dedication to the sport are recognized globally, continuing to inspire a large number of women to participate in motorsport, whether in rallying or elsewhere. However, her history and involvement in the rallying came with its own challenges, that are seen even today. Let’s take a deeper look at her incredible racing journey, from the very beginning.
Early Career
During her childhood years, Mouton’s love for rallying did not start until a friend of hers requested that she practice the 1972 Tour De Corse alongside him, igniting her passion for motorsport having pursued a degree in law at college and with minimal experience of racing aside from driving in her father’s Citroen 2CV. In the following year, she was asked again by her friend to be his co-driver for the Monte Carlo Rally, in the inaugural year of the World Rally Championship. Her father bought Mouton a car for herself, advising her to become a primary driver should she be keen to pursue a career in rally racing. He wanted to see whether she would become successful in this growing industry, and Mouton appreciated that her father treated her with respect, even though there were growing opinions about her involvement in rallying as a woman. (Top Gear)
“It was a great time for women. The beginning of the big revolution and the feminist movement. But it was true you didn’t see a lot of women driving the car.”
“Women were never taken seriously, but my father didn’t think about that at all. He had so much trust in me.”
The first car he bought her was an Alpine A110, and she used this car to compete in national rally competitions, her first race being the 1973 Rallye in Paris. During the years of 1974-75, she consistently scored points whilst growing her skills and experience, and went on to win the Ladies French-European championship in both years, according to Petersen Automotive Museum.
A New Opportunity
Michèle was given the incredible opportunity just before her 25th birthday in 1975 to race on an all-women's team in the annual 24 hours of Le Mans, regarded as the world’s greatest sports car race. She used her rally skills to adapt to the rainy conditions and night driving, enabling her to pass more opponents even in the faster classes. The end result? Her team claimed the victory in their class and finished 21st overall, Michèle mentioned how the race conditions benefited her a lot during the race. (Petersen)
“I remember it began to rain, I had a lot of fun out there! My pit crew told me to stop but I carried on and passed even some of the big cars! The conditions suited me to a tee. In fact, it was as if I were rallying at Le Mans! I just relied on my rallying skills and experience. The night didn’t bother me either as I even did some long stints. The race was a completely new environment for me and extremely interesting.”
Throughout the years of 1977-79, the French rally racer went on to win numerous podiums in a wide variety of cars, eventually receiving an offer from the newly formed Audi Sport Team to race in their all-newly built Quattro, a revolutionary opportunity that paved her way to competing at the highest level of rallying later in her career.
Racing for Audi in 1980
The Quattro was a car that would dominate the world of rallying, due to its all-wheel drive and turbo capabilities that would allow the machine to achieve lots more in its lifespan alongside a rising talent. However, this decision was criticized by many, seeing as a female driver was selected to be on their team over a lot of the male drivers. In response to Mouton being in the World Rally Championship (WRC), Ari Vatenan, the 1981 WRC championship winner stated that: "Never can nor will I lose to a woman." Regardless of the backlash received, Michèle did not let this deter her from achieving more, as she believed she had nothing to prove and only sought to be respected and regarded the same alongside her male racing counterparts at the time.
Her first season with Audi began in 1981, where she went on to take her first win at the San Remo Rally, making history as the first woman to have ever won a round of the WRC, alongside her female co-driver and best friend Fabrizia Pons. Throughout the rest of the season, she won many stages and gained faster lap times, even though unable to secure a podium later in the season because of mechanical failures with her Quattro.
She continued on to win in Portugal, Greece, and Brazil, placing her in second place behind the 1980 champion and WRC legend, Walter Rohrl. If she managed to secure the win in the second to last round of the season, then that would allow her to secure the WRC championship title if she won at least third place in the final round. However, this was not meant to be, as she received news that her father passed away. Even though she was disheartened, her father’s last wish was that she start the rally and race, according to Wikipedia. She started the rally even though she desired not to take part, and gained a tremendous lead against Rohrl, only crashing twice because of mechanical failures with her Quattro. She pushed exceptionally hard in order to make up for lost time due to the car’s failures, and in the end, was not discouraged at all that Rohrl had secured the championship title that year.
“I tried, we tried everything and it didn’t work, that’s all. That’s life. You cannot win all the time. I lost so much compared to the competition.”
According to Wikipedia, Rohrl later mentioned that he would ‘have accepted second place in the championship’ to Mouton’s teammate Hannu Mikkola, but not to Mouton, believing that the defeat would have undermined his overall performance. "This is not because I doubt her capabilities as a driver, but because she is a woman."
Regardless of the circumstances Mouton found herself in, she won the International Rally Driver of the Year award at the annual Autosport Awards Gala, again displaying her talents and commitment to rallying even though she faced harsh backlash and discontent amongst other male drivers and individuals for competing as a woman.
1983 and beyond
After the season concluded in 1982, Mouton secured the victory in her class in the Pikes Peak Hillclimb competition, taking the win and at the same time, beating the prior record set by Al Unser Jr, nephew of the legendary ten-time winner of Pikes Peak, Bobby Unser. Again, Mouton faced discontent from Bobby Unser, because of his dismay that his nephew was beaten by both a European car and a woman. In response to this, Mouton replied, “If you have the balls, you can try to race me back down as well.” (Petersen)
Mouton continued to race for several years after, securing her last podium position in the WRC in 1984 at the Swedish Rally, having a part-time role in the Audi Team at this stage.
“Finishing second was fantastic. When you are out rallying on ice or snow in a country like that it is like dancing. From one side to the other side. My dancing background helped my rallying. As soon as I started on gravel I liked it because of that. It was so nice to feel and move the car like that. Sweden, in ice and snow, like ballet!"
Later going on to compete with Peugeot in the German Rally Championship, she earned the nickname ‘Der schwarze Vulkan’, also known as The Black Volcano due to her temperament and long black hair. (Wikipedia) She went on to become the champion of the German Rally Championship, facing gearbox issues with her car during the race. As there was talk that Group B supercars would be banned, Mouton knew that it would be the end of her career, having made a statement about it previously. Following the announcement that Group B cars were banned, Mouton announced her retirement, stating that “it was a good time to stop” as the Group B era had concluded. Finishing her career on a high, she won the last event of the German championship, the Three Cities Rally, crowning her many achievements and bringing her to the end of her rallying career on a positive note.
2010 to now
Mouton’s impact on the motorsport community extended much beyond her career, as she was made the first president of the FIA’s Women & Motor Sport Commission (Wikipedia).
“For many years people have asked me why there have been no women following in my footsteps. I really hope the Commission can help answer that question and that we can attract and support women in all areas of our sport."
Michèle also credited her father as a large contributor to her success in the sport.
“He loved driving. He loved fast cars. And I think he would have loved to do what I did. He was a prisoner of war for five years and when he came back he never had the opportunity to compete. But he came to all the rallies I did. And my mother came, too."
The documentary “The Queen of Speed” about Mouton’s career celebrated her success and journey in rallying and navigating her way through a male-dominated sport. Michèle’s ultimate motivation for rallying was never for fame, but instead, to be respected and on the same level as her rivals. She was extremely clear that her passion for rallying and her journey was fueled by her desire to prove to herself that she was able to achieve what she did. (Petersen)
“I never needed or wanted or thought I had to justify myself in anything. I did all that for myself. Not to be the only woman in their world. What has always been important was to prove to myself that I was able to do it and to reach their level but it was for me, not for them. I just wanted to do the same, that’s all.”
Graham Robson, a rally journalist, and historian, acknowledged Mouton, along with Pat Moss, as "the driver by whom all other females measure their skills and achievements". (Wikipedia)
Her legacy and impact are still felt today, as she acts as a role model for women today, as a driver who cared about achieving her potential, and being regarded as equals amongst the other male drivers. Formidable and skilled, remarked by former Formula 1 driver Niki Lauda as a “superwoman”, she has cemented her place in rallying history, an inspiration to all as she continues to be recognized for her contributions to rallying and the motorsport industry, encouraging more women to discover their potential and establish their place in rallying, and beyond.
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What is rally racing?
Rally racing is a highly competitive form of motorsport and as one of the oldest forms of racing, it is believed to be one of the purest forms of motorsport. Drivers compete against the clock in exotic locations to gain as many points as they can across different competitions, most commonly, on a variety of dirt tracks and public roads, all with the assistance of a co-driver. Competitions can include speed tests, navigation tests, or the ability to reach waypoints or a destination at a prescribed time or average speed, and drivers are not necessarily racing against others at the same time, but individually and/or at different start times. (Wikipedia)
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Citations:
[1] "Michèle Mouton." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia, Wikimedia Foundation, Inc, 15 July 2023, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mich%C3%A8le_Mouton. Accessed 19 Oct. 2023.
[2] KING, ALANIS. "A Documentary Celebrates the Extraordinary Talents of Michèle Mouton." Top Gear, 28 Feb. 2022, www.topgear.com/car-news/retro/documentary-celebrates-extraordinary-talents-michele-mouton. Accessed 19 Oct. 2023.
[3] WILLIAMS, TAYLOR S. "Celebrating Women in Automotive | Michele Mouton." Petersen Automotive Museum, 14 Mar. 2023, www.petersen.org/blog/michele-mouton. Accessed 19 Oct. 2023.
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