Panis Olivier(Lyon, 02/09/1966)

Olivier Panis (born on 2 September 1966 in Lyon, France) is a former French racing driver, best known for his long Formula 1 career during the 1990s and for being the last French driver to win a World Championship Grand Prix. He developed his career primarily in France, following a steady and methodical path through the junior ranks, building a reputation for consistency and adaptability.

After starting in karting, Panis made his mark in French national categories, winning the Formula Renault France championship in 1989. He then progressed to French Formula 3, continuing his development until achieving the key pre-Formula 1 milestone: victory in the 1993 International Formula 3000 Championship with the DAMS team, a result that earned him a direct promotion to the Formula 1 grid.

He made his Formula 1 debut in 1994 with Ligier, remaining closely associated with the team for several seasons. After a learning year, Panis steadily improved, leading to the defining moment of his career at the 1996 Monaco Grand Prix. In extreme weather conditions, he secured a historic victory after starting outside the front row, capitalising on a race of exceptionally high attrition. That win remains the only victory of his Formula 1 career, but carries enormous symbolic weight as the last French win in the championship.

During the same 1996 season, Panis was also fighting for top championship positions before a serious accident in Montreal resulted in multiple leg fractures and a lengthy absence. He returned in 1997 and continued racing with Ligier, which later became Prost Grand Prix. With Alain Prost’s team, he remained until 1999, enduring technically difficult seasons while playing a central role in car development.

In 2000 he joined BAR, experiencing a challenging year in terms of results, before embarking on a new phase as a test and development driver for McLaren. From 2001 to 2003 he worked closely with the Woking-based team, contributing to the development of highly competitive cars, though without returning to a full-time race seat.

After stepping away from direct Formula 1 competition, Panis enjoyed success in endurance and touring car racing. He competed in the French Supertourisme championship and, most notably, at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, where he achieved second place overall in 2000 with Courage-Oreca. He later became a respected figure in the paddock as a manager and consultant, also supporting young drivers in their international careers.

On a personal level, Panis has remained closely connected to French and European motorsport. Following his retirement from top-level racing, he has continued to be involved in the sport as a manager and mentor, maintaining a discreet yet consistent presence within the international motorsport scene.

GP Results

GP/Points Graph

Year	Team	Chassis	Points
2004	Toyota	TF104	6
2003	Toyota	TF103	6
2002	BAR	004	3
2001	BAR	003	5
1999	Prost	AP02	2

* World Championships with at least 1 point won (since 2001)

Year	Team	Teammate	Win
2004	Panasonic Toyota Racing (TF104)	Trulli J.	1 VS 15
2003	Panasonic Toyota Racing (TF103)	Da Matta C.	1 VS 15
2002	Lucky Strike BAR Honda (004)	Villeneuve J.	6 VS 11
2001	British American Racing Honda (003)	Villeneuve J.	6 VS 11
Total			14 VS 52

Grand Prix	Team	Chassis	Pos.
Bahrain GP 2004	Panasonic Toyota Racing	TF104	9
United States GP 2004	Panasonic Toyota Racing	TF104	5
Monaco GP 2004	Panasonic Toyota Racing	TF104	8
Belgian GP 2004	Panasonic Toyota Racing	TF104	8
Japanese GP 2003	Panasonic Toyota Racing	TF103	10
German GP 2003	Panasonic Toyota Racing	TF103	5
French GP 2003	Panasonic Toyota Racing	TF103	8
Canadian GP 2003	Panasonic Toyota Racing	TF103	8
San Marino GP 2003	Panasonic Toyota Racing	TF103	9
Italian GP 2002	Lucky Strike BAR Honda	004	6
British GP 2002	Lucky Strike BAR Honda	004	5
European GP 2002	Lucky Strike BAR Honda	004	9
Canadian GP 2002	Lucky Strike BAR Honda	004	8
Italian GP 2001	British American Racing Honda	003	9
German GP 2001	British American Racing Honda	003	7
French GP 2001	British American Racing Honda	003	9
Austrian GP 2001	British American Racing Honda	003	5
Spanish GP 2001	British American Racing Honda	003	7
San Marino GP 2001	British American Racing Honda	003	8
Brazilian GP 2001	British American Racing Honda	003	4
Australian GP 2001	British American Racing Honda	003	7
European GP 1999	Gauloises Prost Peugeot	AP02	9
Hungarian GP 1999	Gauloises Prost Peugeot	AP02	10
German GP 1999	Gauloises Prost Peugeot	AP02	6
Austrian GP 1999	Gauloises Prost Peugeot	AP02	10
French GP 1999	Gauloises Prost Peugeot	AP02	8
Canadian GP 1999	Gauloises Prost Peugeot	AP02	9
Brazilian GP 1999	Gauloises Prost Peugeot	AP02	6

* Grand prix finishes in the top 10 (since 2001)

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