In the 1980s, the World Rally Championship was at the height of its global stature. The championship was set to enter the Group B era early in the decade, and the series was full of some hugely talented drivers such as Hannu Mikkola, Walter Rohrl and Henri Toivonen. And the series was full of a multitude of brilliant manufacturers such as Peugeot, Audi, and Lancia. The 1980s provided some of the best moments in the entire history of world rally.
Among those legendary names though was a driver that silenced more critics than most. A driver who many doubted, but who would show the world just what she was capable of. Yes, it was a she, and she was constantly doubted purely because she was a woman. Her name is of course Michele Mouton. Mouton would go on to drive in the WRC with the legendary Audi team and their mighty Quattro. Not only would she win rallies, but she would fight for the 1982 world championship and become one of the most successful drivers of her time in rallying, and silence the critics who doubted her.
How Mouton Shot To World Rally Fame
Mouton was born in Grasse, in France, and her interest in rallying began in 1972. This was when a friend, Jean Tabi, asked her to practise that years Tour de Corse with him. Mouton would soon start to make a name for herself in rallying events, debuting in rallying herself driving an Alpine-Renault A110 at the Rallye Paris – Saint Raphael Feminin. She would debut in the new WRC in 1974 with a 12th place finish in an A110, before she then won that year's French and European ladies championship. Mouton would show her prowess in 1975 at the Le Mans 24 Hours.
This was a race in which she won the two-litre prototype category, where she overtook multiple cars on slick tires despite it starting to rain. She continued to have great success in rallying, finishing second in the 1979 French Rally Championship before Audi gave her a call ahead in 1980, and signed her up for a WRC program beginning in 1981 in their new Audi Quattro. Audi were highly criticized for signing a female driver, but Mouton started to answer those critics quickly, with a fourth place finish at Rally Portugal, after she couldn’t even start the first round in Monte Carlo.
Mouton Makes A Name For Herself In The Quattro
Mouton would produce consistent results throughout 1981, but she then stared at the Rallye Sanremo in Italy. This event is on a mixed surface with tarmac and gravel, and Mouton shone. She took the lead after local star Micehle Cinotto crashed, and then held off Toivonen and Ari Vatanen to take a historic maiden victory. This came just hours after Vatanen had said “never can nor will I lose to a woman”. Mouton had won the event even with brake pad issues.
However, it was in 1982 when Mouton would really shine. Mouton would have a shaky start to the year, but would go on to dominate in Portugal before winning again at the Acropolis Rally, and she was within 20 points of championship leader Rohrl. The Rally of Brazil would see another victory for Mouton, although the event was sadly marred by the tragic loss of Brazilian driver Thomas Fuchs, and the overall chaotic conditions of the event. Perhaps her most heroic performance of the year though came at the Rallye Cote d’Ivories. Because just before the event started, she was tragically told that her father had succumbed to cancer.
Mouton’s Most Heroic And Noble Performance
Her father's last wish was that her daughter would start the rally. And boy did Mouton start it. After the first day, she was eight minutes ahead of Hannu Mikkola and later on would lead Rohrl by over an hour in the 750-mile event. However, reliability issues saw the lead shrink to just 18 minutes on day 3, but if she held off Rohrl, she would be just two points behind the German and could win the title with just a third place finish in the RAC rally. It was not to be though, as on the final day, with just 600 km to go, Mouton rolled her car and Rohrl went on to take the title. But it had been a truly remarkable performance from Mouton. She finished the championship as runner-up.
The Legacy That Mouton Left Behind
Mouton would win no more WRC events after 1982 but would stay with Audi for a while before running with Peugeot in more national events. Her legacy though has seen her called motorsports most successful female driver, and F1 champion Niki Lauda called her a “superwoman”. She is still the only woman to ever win a round of the WRC, and she so nearly was able to take the title. What she did achieve though was nothing short of remarkable, and she will go down in history as one of the greatest rally drivers of her generation.
Sources: Rally Group B Shrine, Audi