René Arnoux, 1979

René Arnoux, born 4 July 1948, is a French former racing driver who competed in 12 Formula One seasons (1978 to 1989). He participated in 165 Grand Prix (149 starts) winning seven of them, achieving 22 podium finishes and 18 pole positions. He raced for Martini, Surtees, Renault, Ferrari and Ligier.

In the 1979 season, the factory Renault team entered two cars for the first time since its debut in 1977. René Arnoux, picture above in Jarama in 1979, who had won the 1977 European Formula 2 Championship, and had participated in 6 Grand Prix in 1978 for Martini and Surtees, was hired to partner Jean-Pierre Jabouille.

While Jabouille won the French Grand Prix, his and Renault’s first Grand Prix victory, at the Dijon-Prenois circuit, Arnoux took the headlines due to a fierce wheel-banging battle (picture below) with Gilles Villeneuve’s Ferrari for second place.

In his first full-season in F1, Arnoux established himself for good as a brave and fast F1 racer, took four top-six finishes, including three podium places; and finished 8th in the standings. Victories were not far away.